May's Crush: Final Frontier
by PikamasterADV
Summary: The Sequel to May's Crush, so be sure to read that, first! Ash and May go on an exciting trip to the Sevii Islands. What adventures await them there? Updates when Updates are done.
1. Farewell!

**Sorry it's a little late. I've had internet problems from being home... as well as Wii taking up my time. Ehehe... Anyway, lets get started!**

* * *

"Blaziken, Blaze Kick!" May shouted to her starter Pokémon.

"Sceptile, Slam!" Ash countered.

The two powerful Pokémon crashed their strikes against each other. Sceptile successfully force Blaziken back. Both trainers' points took a hit.

"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!" Ash ordered.

"Blaziken, Sky Uppercut!" May fired back.

His blades glowing, Sceptile lunged at Blaziken, who had leapt up into midair, clashing her fists against his blades. The counter strike proved effective, forcing the other Pokémon to stand down. Again, Ash and May both lost points.

"Blaziken, Overheat!" May ordered an attack that could finish the match.

"Sceptile, Solarbeam!" Ash pulled out his most powerful move. Both Pokémon readied their moves, and leapt at each other, the powerful Overheat and Solarbeam colliding in the air. A massive explosion overtook both of the fully evolved Pokémon, clouding who had won their match.

May recalled in her mind how the events lead up to this encounter.

_It was late in the day in the Kanto Region, but Ash had never felt brighter. The Pallet native had just conquered the Battle Frontier by defeating Brandon and his Regice using a team comprised of his three Kanto Starter Pokémon plus Pikachu and won his final Frontier Symbol. After being awarded a Victory Plaque with his seven Symbols embossed on it, Scott offered Ash the ability to become a Frontier Brain._

"_No thank you, Scott," Ash told the large man. "I'm going to travel more. Pokémon contests don't stick around in one location, so if I'm going to stay with May, I better keep moving as well."_

"_Ash," the girl smiled at him. "Really? Turning it down for me?"_

_The raven-haired boy affixed his auburn eyes on the girl he loved. "Of course, May," he said into her bright sapphire eyes. "You're more important than a title."_

"_So I see…" Scott said, a depressed look on his face behind his sunglasses. "Is there anyway to get you to reconsider?"_

"_No," Ash shook his head. "I'm sorry, Scott, but it's just not in the cards for me."_

_The large man put his hands in his bright Hawaiian print shirt. "I guess it can't be helped," he shrugged. "Do you have any plans on where you and your lovely girlfriend are traveling next?"_

_May blushed at the implication of being lovely. "We haven't really decided yet," she smiled, spinning her black-and-white gloved fingers around each other. At the end of each glove was a green ring around her wrist. "We were going to hang around Pallet for a while so we could search for a new place to go."_

"_I hope you all have a good trip back to Pallet," Scott smiled. "I hope we meet again."_

_Max became downtrodden, his glasses falling to the edge of his nose. Brock placed his hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. Max knew that as soon as they got to the port, his adventure with his sister and their friends would be over. He kept it to himself, hoping that May would tell the group before then so he wouldn't have to._

_That was a few days ago._

_May went to buy a ticket for Max to travel back to Hoenn, but kept it under wraps, not wanting to deflate her boyfriend's ego he had developed from defeating the Battle Frontier._

_While the group traveled around the bustling port, May spotted a poster for a local Pokémon Contest._

"_Oh, look guys! A Pokémon Contest! I'm gonna enter!" the girl was ecstatic. "I've needed some practice, and this contest will be perfect!"_

"_But sis," Max tried to remind her of his trip._

"_We can talk later, Max," May hushed him. "I want to enter this contest!"_

"_I'll enter, too!" May, Brock, and Max all turned their heads to see Ash and his partner, Pikachu, looking at the poster._

"_Ash?" May tilted her green-bandana clad head to the side. "Why are you gonna enter the contest?"_

_Ash leaned his lithe body backwards. "Well, I just happened to have won the Battle Frontier," the egotistical boy smirked from under his red and black hat, "so I'll just bless this Pokémon Contest with my amazing Pokémon training skills."_

"_Pi pikachu!" the yellow electric Pokémon cocked his hand backwards in an affirmative position._

"_Oh, brother," the older breeder sighed. "And I though his head couldn't get bigger."_

"_Besides," Ash added, "you're always saying how we need to do more stuff together, May."_

_May stood in her primarily red and green outfit. "That's true, but just because you're my boyfriend, don't think I'm gonna go easy on you."_

_Ash smirked, clad in his blue sweatshirt and baggy jeans. "I wouldn't expect any less from you, May."_

_They entered the contest and appealed. Because it was such a small contest, only two trainers were chosen to advance to the battle round. And thanks to an ingenious appeal courtesy of Pikachu, Ash was able to advance. May relied on her Eevee and established Contest experience to see her through, making it a boyfriend versus girlfriend match in the finals. Ash and May were out warming their Pokémon up when Jessie, James and Meowth, the infamous Team Rocket trio appeared, and attempted to steal all of the Pokémon that entered the contest. Through the quick work of Ash's Sceptile and May's Combusken, however, their plan was thwarted. However, during the battle, May's Combusken began to glow, and she evolved, leaving Sceptile duly impressed by her new Blaze Kick technique. Psyched even more for the battle, Ash and May entered the battle arena from opposite sides._

"_May the best coordinator win," May grinned at her boyfriend from across the stadium._

"_You better be careful, May," Ash returned. "I've seen your contests, and I know how to be a winning coordinator. After all, I've helped you from the start of your journey."_

The smoke was clearing as the buzzer sounded for the contest battle. The time was up, and Sceptile and Blaziken fell from their conflict in the middle of the air, landing, facing each other, the fatigue of the battle apparent on their faces. Sceptile shot a smile at his opponent, catching Blaziken off guard before she smiled back at him. The smoke cleared showing that Ash and May both had the same amount of points remaining. The display changed to show both Ash and May as the winners. The couple was surprised at the decision, but ended up smiling to each other.

Ash and May, both standing along side their Pokémon, smiled as the crowd cheered for the excellent battle. The judge, a middle aged man with brown hair, stood to present Ash and May with the winner's ribbon.

"Congratulations to both of you for a spectacular battle," he said to them, stepping closer with a case. "Unfortunately," he added as he opened the case, "we've only got one ribbon. So I guess you two'll have to do some kind of joint ownership."

Ash looked at it for a second and thought. "I have an idea," he smiled. He took the ribbon from the box and tossed it into the air. "Sceptile, cut it in half with Leaf Blade!" His large, reptilian Pokémon smirked, leaping into the air and severing the ribbon down the middle. Ash and May ran under the falling parts and both caught one.

Ash and May both caught the falling parts as Sceptile landed frightening close to the judges. Standing side by side, the opponents struck a pose, holding the ribbon so that it would appear full. "I got a ribbon!" Ash and May shouted in triumph.

"Pi pikachu!" Ash's partner added, grinning.

The sun was setting at the port as Brock placed the food on their plates. May sat next to Max on one side, the boy fidgeting uneasily. Ash, unaware, smiled at all of their Pokémon as they ate happily.

A red crustacean stepped close to a small turtle. "Corphish," he held out his claw.

"Squirtle," the turtle responded, shaking the claw. Corphish and Squirtle began to strike up a conversation, the former telling the latter jokes.

Pikachu sat along side a purple Pokémon with a long tail that tormented him by tapping him on the shoulder and pretending not to know. Pikachu glared at the monkey Pokémon for a moment, and continued eating. To his left (as opposed to his right where the monkey was) sat a small canine Pokémon whom Pikachu started off a friendship with recently, seeing as their trainers were a couple now. While the small one always seemed full of friendship for the Electric-Type, Pikachu always saw Gary's Eevee, who had defeated him, when he saw the species. Pikachu, sighed, hoping he wouldn't become too much more like Ash.

To Eevee's left sat May's pink feline Pokémon, who had already finished eating was napping happily in the sunset. A larger, gluttonous Pokémon snuck by and stole the little bits of food that she had left in her bowl. After licking the feline's bowl clean, the glutton snuck looked around for his next victim, and another way to steal more food.

He knew, however, not to try anything with Blaziken. Even before her evolution, he had been disciplined by the Fire-and-Fighting type for trying to steal food in the past. So he only watched from a distance and drooled for a moment at her food as she lazily popped another kernel in her mouth, relaxing next to Sceptile, who sat in meditation, having already finished his meal.

The hungry Pokémon looked about his allies for an easy target. A powerful elephant Pokémon glanced over at him, letting the smaller Pokémon know that his visit would not be appreciated. Next to the stocky, powerful elephant was a bagworm, encased in a steel shell. His gaze also narrowed at the watcher, who smiled back and turned around, truly depressed at his lack of easy targets.

Meanwhile, a moderately sized blue Pokémon watched from a distance at Sceptile and Blaziken. He rubbed his feet against the ground as he watched them from a distance. He cursed his shy ways and returned to sitting in the grass, by himself. He looked up to the sky to see two flying Pokémon circling over head. He chuckled to himself, one of them was a butterfly.

"Hey, Marshtomp," Brock called for him, "you wanna help yourself to some of these leftovers?"

The blue Pokémon smiled as he stepped over to Brock. The breeder could tell that his Water-and-Ground Pokémon was feeling a bit lovelorn, so he tried to cheer him up.

May watched her boyfriend eat with some kind of morbid fascination, similar to the kinds that made her watch wild Pokémon attack each other on television when her brother elbowed her in the side.

"May," he pleaded "please tell 'em…"

"Alright, Max," she sighed, not wanting to send him off. She turned to the table. "Hey, guys?"

Ash looked up, his mouth full of noodles. Brock affixed his gaze on her as he sat down.

"I've been talking to my parents," May explained. "Max's tenth birthday is coming up pretty soon, and Dad wanted me to send him back to Hoenn so he could become a trainer."

"That's great, Max!" Ash smiled after swallowing his noodles. "You've always wanted to have your own Pokémon!"

"No, it's not…" Max sighed, slipping off of the fold up chair and stepping away from the table.

"What'd I say?" Ash became slightly confused.

May looked at him from across the table. "He doesn't want to leave the group, Ash. We're not going with him."

"Oh," Ash began to understand. He left the table and followed Max who had wondered further into the park they had set up their dinner in. He saw the boy swinging by his lonesome on the rusty swing set. "Hey, Max, I'm sorry I didn't think about you not wanting to leave."

"It's alright, Ash," Max looked at the dirt under him. "I really have wanted my starter Pokémon for a long time. But now, I don't really wanna leave you guys. You're all the best friends I've ever had. Even if one of 'em is my sister."

Ash sat on the swing next to the one Max sat on. "We have had quite the adventure, haven't we?" He looked up at the orange sky. "You've been a good friend Max," he told him. "I don't really want to see you go, either. But if your dream takes you away from your friends, then we shouldn't stand in your way. You want to be the Petalburg Gym Leader someday, right?"

Max smiled. "Yeah, I've always wanted to succeed my Dad as the Gym Leader. I guess I won't be able to prove to him that I can be a great trainer if I keep following you around, will I?"

"Max," May called as she stepped into the park. Brock followed closely behind her. "I really don't want you to go."

"You know as well as I do that I have to, sis," he smiled at her.

May threw her arms around her brother. "I know," she cried silently. "But I'm really gonna miss you. I love you, Max."

"I love you, too, May," he said, returning his sister's affections.

May stood up and rubbed her eyes. "I-I wanted to give you something for your journey. To remember me by." She began fishing something out of her pack.

"You don't have to give me anything, sis," he was embarrassed.

"I insist," she said. "I think you'll need this." She took out a Pokéball and handed it to him.

"The thought's nice and all, May," Max said, clearly underwhelmed, "but Professor Birch will give me some Pokéballs."

"That's Squirtle's Pokéball," May said.

"What?" Max looked back at it. "You're giving me your Squirtle?"

May nodded, tears in her Sapphire eyes. "I know how much you love Pokémon, and I wanted to be the one who gave you your first."

"Thank you, sis!" He hugged her tightly as she leaned down and took him in again. "You're the best sister ever!"

"J-just make sure you let him see a contest every once in a while, Max," she choked out. "I'm gonna miss you so much, little brother."

"I'm gonna miss you, too, May," he sobbed. "I don't know when we'll be able to see each other again. I-I'll take good care of Squirtle."

"C'mon, guys," Brock placed his hands on each of their shoulders. "Lets get finished eating one last meal as a team."

The brother and sister broke apart and walked back to the picnic table, tears sliding down their smiling faces.

They sat and spoke of their great adventures together. Max remembered fondly his encounter with Jirachi, while May spoke mostly of Manaphy. Ash remembered the fallen Lucario fondly, and Brock reminisced to the group about all the girls he had lost during their journey. Max made an off color about how Brock couldn't have lost any girls because he never got any. While the breeder sighed at the boy's observation, Ash and May enjoyed Max's razor-sharp wit for what would be the last time for a while.

After finishing their meal, Brock began to pack Max for his trip back to Littleroot and Professor Birch's Laboratory. The boy held Squirtle in his arms. May had discussed going with Max to Squirtle in private (even Ash was unaware), and the Kanto Water-type agreed to go with him. Max slipped the Pokéball into his pocket, and thought fondly of his sister.

Ash felt like he had to give something to Max, as well. He quickly tore through his backpack, looking for a memento to give his girlfriend's brother. Ash certainly thought more of Max than just 'his girlfriend's brother.' He and Max had become very close in their travels, and he was going to miss the lad as well. Not finding anything he was willing to part with, he sighed and dropped back, placing his hands on his head. He was then struck with inspiration as what to give his departing friend.

Max turned to see Ash handing him his red-and-black cap. "Here," Ash smiled at him. "You'll need something to cover your eyes when it gets really bright."

"Ash…" he smiled at him. He took the hat and held it in his hands, dropping Squirtle, who stood next to his new trainer. "You've done so much for me. I… I couldn't."

"Take it, Max," Ash grinned. "You've done some pretty brave stuff during our adventure. You deserve it."

Max smiled and put the hat on his head. Squirtle leapt to his shoulder as May and Brock approached him. May presented him with his pack. "We've got it all ready for you to go," she smiled, fighting back tears again.

"Thank you, May," he smiled at her, also fighting back tears.

"I've made you a snack, Max," Brock handed him a small covered bowl. He placed a metallic fork and knife on the bowl. "And you'll need these to eat it."

"Thanks a lot, Brock," Max took the food in his free hand.

"Take it easy, Max," May mothered him. "Don't push yourself too hard."

"I won't, May," he smiled.

The boat pulled into the port. Ash, May and Brock watched the boy begin to walk away toward the boat. May cried silently, watching her brother leave her. Ash took her hand in his, trying to ease her distress about Max leaving. The boy stopped walking to the boat. Turning back to his friends with tears in his eyes, he ran back into his sister's arms. Ash, May, and Brock all held Max in a group hug, unsure when they would have the opportunity again. With that, he set off to board the ship again.

As the ship pulled out from the port, Max and Squirtle waved to Ash, May, Brock and all of the Pokémon who watched them go. Ash resumed holding her hand to prevent her from losing her composure. As the ship disappeared from view, Pikachu sighed, depressed having to have watch another friend leave.

The remainder of the evening was spent in relative silence. After recalling their Pokémon, Ash, May, and Brock set up camp in the park. Even though he is normally uncomfortable with close sleeping arrangements, Ash allowed May to lay her sleeping bag next to his to comfort her since Max had left. Brock slept on May's other side, to make sure she felt surrounded by her friends. As they set up the camp that night, Brock told May that it was hard for him the first few weeks he was out being away from his brothers and sisters. The story comforted May as the boys drifted off to sleep. Feeling lonely, she looked over to the sleeping Ash (complete with Pikachu sleeping in his lap on the sleeping bag) and watched him sleep for a moment. Slowly, she unzipped her sleeping bag to allow her arms freedom of movement. She reached over and unzipped Ash's sleeping bag to reveal his chest. May felt her cheeks light up as the boy turned in his sleep away from her. Scooting closer, she wrapped one of her arms around him, holding him close for comfort during her sleep. May smiled as she let herself fall asleep holding Ash in her arms.

When he awoke in the morning, Brock looked over and saw that May had wrapped her arms around Ash. He sighed; it was a sight that was becoming too common to him. All the young couple reminded him of was his own lovelorn life. He tried to make the best of it today. Because today, he was leaving, too.

Ash yawned as he turned over to see May's sleeping face. Startled at first, he listened to May snore quietly and smelled her breath. Ash slipped out of her loose grip and stood up. Pikachu yawned as well, and began to stretch. May rolled over in her sleep, continuing to sleep soundly. Ash couldn't help at how cute she looked while she slept. The smell of food, however, proved to be a stronger lure as he found himself walking over to Brock. "Hey, that smells really good, Brock," Ash complimented. "What's the occasion?"

"Nothing, really," Brock lied. He knew he'd have to make it as quick and painless as possible after what happened with Max yesterday.

Soon after, May woke up, and the group released their Pokémon and all had what under normal circumstances would be an uneventful morning. Brock smiled to himself, enjoying the interactions between Ash and May as they competed to see who could eat the most of Brock's cooking before they were too full to eat any more. The Pokémon were fed, with Brock's own Pokémon knowing only as much as Ash, May and the rest of the Pokémon did.

They packed up camp and began heading down the road. Ash gloated over his win against May that morning, but the girl didn't seem to mind, although she took measures to deflate his ego when she felt it was too large. More significantly, Ash and May looked at the ribbon they had split, each happy that they could share a win in battle together. Brock allowed them to remain blissfully unaware. He knew it would be hard to say goodbye if they knew he was leaving.

The group came to a fork in the road. As Ash and May began turning down the road to the south, Brock stood still.

"This is it, guys," he told them. "I'll be leaving, here."

"What?" Ash and May were shocked.

"I've got to visit my family in Pewter," he told them. "I told them I would after every adventure and our journey though the Battle Frontier ended not to long ago."

"Not just Max, but Brock, too?" May stepped backwards. "Why didn't you tell us you had to leave?"

"If I told you," Brock explained, "you would have been more upset, and it would have ruined your day. And as your honorary big brother, I can't let that happen."

Ash's expression darkened as Pikachu let out a sad coo from his trainer's shoulder. "I'm gonna miss you, Brock," Ash said to his long time traveling partner. He held out his hand to him.

"Same here, Ash," he smiled. "And depending on where you two decide to go, I might be able to join you, so unlike Max's, my departure might only be temporary." He took Ash's hand and gave him a firm handshake.

May placed her hand on theirs. "I don't know what to say, Brock," she smiled, tears in her eyes, "except that you better get back to us as soon as possible."

"Don't cry, May," he smiled to her as a single tear slid down her face. "I'll have to come back, someday." He tried to disarm the subject with a joke. "I mean, who will feed you and Ash? Instant Ramen can only take you so far."

"Hey, Instant Ramen can take me plenty far!" May retorted, smiling.

Brock broke the interlinked hands. "And with that, I bid you adieu," he bowed like a gentleman. Brock stepped away from them, and then began to walk up the road to Pewter. Ash and May waved to him for a bit before heading south towards Pallet Town. Pikachu sighed as he saw Brock leaving.

In a certain Normal-type Pokémon shaped balloon overhead, a trio plus two Psychic Pokémon watched through binoculars.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow," a woman sighed.

"But Pikachu is much sweeter," a man followed up.

"I prefer lemon in my tea," a Pokémon said.

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime, mime!"


	2. In our Pallet Town

Ash and May walked down the path, truly alone together for the first time since they decided to become boyfriend and girlfriend. Without Max always watching them to make sure they cut out the 'mushy stuff', nor Brock to keep them on track, they didn't really know what to do with themselves. Ash and May walked in silence.

Ash felt a tension between them. He had to break it. "So…" he began. "It's been a long time since we've been in Pallet, huh?"

"Yeah," May replied, seeming distracted. "I wonder how your mother's doing. The last time we saw her was in Cerulean during the 'incident'."

"I'm sure she's doing fine," Ash told her. "I can't wait for a home cooked meal."

"Your mom is a good cook," May remembered the meal she ate there before Ash began his tour of the Battle Frontier. "I'm getting hungry already, and it hasn't been an hour since we left Brock."

"How can you tell?" Ash asked her. "Max took the PokéNav with him to Hoenn, remember?"

May sighed. "Oh, yeah… I hope we don't get lost. Without a map, who knows where we'd end up?"

"Don't worry, I remember this road," he told her. "And if I remember correctly…" he said as the reached the top of a hill, "Pallet Town is just over there!" He shouted as they stood above his hometown. Ash was happy to come home every time between adventures. His warm bed waited for him, as did his mother, Professor Oak, and most of all, the Pokémon he left there. "I can't wait to get there!" Ash grinned. "C'mon, May! Let's race to my house!"

"Wait, Ash!" she called. "Can't we just walk together like a regular couple?" But it was too late to reach him as he bolted towards his house. Grudgingly, May began to chase after him, ready to give him a piece of her mind when she caught up with him.

Ash waited for the winded May as she staggered into Ash's front lawn. "Wh… wh… why didn't you wait up for me?" she asked, panting.

"I told you it was a race," Ash sneered at her, proud of his accomplishment. "And I won, too!"

"Well, whoop-dee-do," May spun her index finger in the air. "I'm bushed. Let's get inside so I can rest."

Ash knocked on the door before opening it. He and May stepped inside, slipping off their shoes and stepping into the house. "Mom!" Ash called out. "We're home!" No sounds, however, came from the building. "I wonder where she went…" Ash pondered.

"Well, why don't we wait here for a bit to see if she comes back, and if not," May suggested, "we'll check at Professor Oak's Laboratory when we go to let our Pokémon rest in his ranch."

"That sounds good," Ash smiled. "Hey, why don't we go up to my room? You've never seen it, have you?"

"Oh Ash," May fluttered her eyelids, "I didn't know you wanted to go all the way so soon."

Ash turned bright red. "I didn't mean like that!" he shouted, flustered.

May giggled and waved him down. "Calm down, I was just kidding. Let's go upstairs then."

Grumbling at his girlfriend's sense of humor, Ash led May up the stairs in his house to his room. A single bed sat in the corner, the window positioned so that the morning sun would shine on whomever was sleeping there. Across the room, on the wall, hung Ash's official Pokémon League hat, next to his older vest. Surprisingly to May, Ash had a study desk. Upon closer examination, however, she realized that the desk wasn't used for studying.

On the wall above the desk hung three moderately sized picture frames, with a smaller frame under the middle frame. May looked at the frames and saw that each of them had eight Gym Badges inside the glass. She recognized which set was the Kanto Badges by comparing the Cascade Badge that she got from Misty to the ones that Ash won. Next to the frame containing the Kanto Badges was a picture of Ash, Pikachu, and 5 of his other Pokémon, along with the trophy that, after looking down, sat on his desk under a layer of dust. In the picture frame under the framed picture there were four badges that May couldn't identify from where they came from. The set of unidentifiable badges she saw to the left of the seashell badges must have been from Johto, seeing as she's never seen a Johto Gym Badge.

On the desk, sitting out in the open and also becoming dusty, were Ash's eight Hoenn Gym Badges. Ash opened his pack and sat his Frontier Victory Plaque next to it. "I guess my mom hasn't framed my Hoenn League Badges yet," he laughed.

May had never taken the time to look at Ash's Badges (especially considering how protective the boy was of them when he needed them to enter the Hoenn League), but now, seeing them all here, she found them rather pretty. _Almost like a jewelry collection,_ she joked to herself. "I never noticed before, but your Gym Badges are all really pretty."

"You think so?" Ash said. May picked up the Badge Case and rolled the chair at the desk over into the sunlight. She saw that a fine layer of dust had settled on them. Reaching into her fanny-pack, she pulled a small cloth out and wiped the dust off of them.

She smiled as the silver Balance Badge shined to her. It was her father's Gym Badge. The one Ash had won back in Hoenn. She closed her eyes and remembered the battle. She also remembered taking Ash's side in the Gym Battle, even though Brock warned her to be neutral. _I'm glad I took Ash's side,_ she smiled at the boy as he relaxed with Pikachu on the bed. "I might have to compete in the next league we go to if the badges are all so pretty," May joked to Ash while shining the Balance Badge further.

"Heh, yeah, and I'll do Pokémon Contests," Ash laughed back at her. "Pikachu and I can go winning ribbons."

"Hey, you weren't too bad at that contest we were in recently," she winked at him. "You did manage to tie against a coordinator who's gotten to the top four of her second Grand Festival."

"Well, in that case," Ash added, "you should enter the next league, since you tied with a trainer who just beat the Battle Frontier."

The couple had a good laugh. May smiled at the boy, his dark hair tossed about his head. "Are you gonna get a new hat, since you gave your old one to Max?" she asked.

Ash pondered for a moment. "Well, I have my old Pokémon League hat. I guess I could wear that."

May stepped over to him and ran her hand through his hair. "I don't think you should. I kinda like your hair without a hat," she smiled.

Ash blushed slightly. "Y-you think so?" he looked up to her. She smiled and nodded, messing up his always tangled hair. "I guess I could go without a hat for a while."

May giggled. "I just hope I don't get the urge to comb it for you. If I do, you might start to look less like the Ash I love so much." She pecked his hair with her lips, causing Ash to turn a little more crimson.

"Oh, Ash-honey!" they heard Ash's mother from downstairs calling. "I see your shoes are here. I hope you're not doing anything in your room that you're not supposed to."

"Oh, Ash!" May called out, her voice dripping in sarcasm. "Help me get my clothes on!"

Ash's face became red and angry as May darted out of the room, giggling like a school girl. "We're not doing anything, Mom! Don't listen to May!" he called out to the woman downstairs. Ash calmed himself down and took Pikachu to his shoulder before leaving the room. He stepped down the stairs to see his mother, dressed in her requisite pink blouse and blue skirt, giggling along side May, who held her sides, chuckling. "What's so funny?" Ash belted out, irritated.

"Oh, honey," Ash's mother, caught her breath. "May and I were just having a laugh at that joke she shouted."

"Yeah…" Ash smiled through gritted teeth. "A real great joke."

"Oh, come on, Ash," May stepped over to him, grinning widely. "You know I was just kidding, right?"

"Well, I didn't think it was very funny!" Ash spat.

Ash's mother's eyes widened. "I… think I have some things to put in the cabinets," she muttered, stepping out of the room quickly.

"Did… did you really get that hurt by my joke?" May's voice held raised concern. She sat down on the couch and beckoned him to sit with her.

"Y-yeah…" Ash said under his breath, dissatisfied with himself for raising his voice at May as he sat next to the brunette. "I guess I don't think it's so funny to joke about that kind of thing."

May took his hand in one of hers and stroked the back of it with her other. "I'm sorry, Ash," she smiled at him, regret shining forth from her eyes. "I didn't mean to offend you with it."

"That's alright," Ash took the hand May was stroking his hand with in his other hand. "Just don't do it again, okay?"

"You can count on it," she smiled. She planted a small peck on his cheek. "Well, now that your mom's back, why don't we go do something in town?" she suggested.

"Well, why don't we head down to Professor Oak's Lab and drop off our Pokémon," Ash suggested. "I'm sure they'd like the time to be outside their Pokéballs."

"That sounds like a good idea, Ash," May said, putting her finger to her chin, "and do you think after that we could go do something together?"

"Sure," Ash grinned. "I don't see why not."

Ash and May bid his mother goodbye before they set down the road to Professor Oak's Lab. May had almost forgotten the large staircase leading to the esteemed researcher's home before now. Sighing as Ash lead the charge up the stone steps, May grudgingly followed up them, keeping up with the boy on whom Pikachu hung. Ash hurriedly knocked on the door, hopping up and down from excitement. May wiped the sweat form her forehead. Ash had seemingly a bottomless well of energy from which he drew during moments of extreme enthusiasm. While May herself was in better shape since she began her Pokémon Journey, she still didn't like walking too far without taking a rest. She sighed, supposing that perhaps she was too pampered by her father.

An old man opened the door, grinning happily. "Ash! May! It's great to see you!" he said. "I didn't know that you two were back in town!"

"We just got back recently, Professor Oak," Ash said, hopping uncontrollably. "We wanted to leave our Pokémon with you while we stayed in Pallet."

"Well, by all means," the famous Pokémon Professor stepped out of their way as Ash zipped into the building past him. May walked in a bit more calmly than her boyfriend.

By the time May had stepped into Oak's immense back yard, Ash had already found many of his Pokémon. A small blue crocodile hopped joyfully around the trainer's feet while a tired looking echidna yawned and nuzzled his leg. A large, icy Pokémon that looked like a floating head moved close to his master. An obedient orange tortoise smiled and shed tears of joy as he rejoined his beloved trainer. May smiled at the sighed, not without feeling a tiny pang in her own heart. _Ash and his Pokémon will always be close, I guess_, she thought. _I love him, but I guess I'll have to learn to live with this._

May reached into her pack and pulled out her five Pokéballs. "C'mon out, everyone!" she tossed them into the air, causing them to snap open, revealing her Pokémon. Blaziken stood tall and stretched outside of the Pokéball as her team mates appeared around her. The pink kitten Pokémon began running immediately into the grasses close by, followed by the curious brown canine. Her butterfly zoomed into the sky, to find a flower garden to relax in, while the ever-hungry Pokémon began to search for a new meal. "Now Skitty, Eevee, you two be careful!" she called to them as they ran away. She looked to the sky and shouted, "Have fun, Beautifly!" Her gaze then turned to the Pokémon who tried to infiltrate her pack. "No, Munchlax. You'll eat when the Professor feeds you."

As Munchlax let out a sigh, Ash turned to his Professor. "Hey, Professor, where's Tracey?" he asked.

"Tracey went to visit Misty in Cerulean City," Oak told him, stepping out into the sun. "He's been visiting up there more recently, I've noticed," he had a mischeaveous look in his eyes. "He's also been spending time with Cyndi while he's been up there."

Ash and May recalled the rambunctious girl they had met in Cerulean during the 'incident.' After Misty (under Harley's bad influence) had made them veritable felons, the small, blue haired Cyndi convinced her mother to let Ash and May stay in their home. Of course the older woman couldn't turn them down; Ash was Cyndi's idol, after all. During their stay, the couple learned that not only was the girl an aspiring artist, but she also had developed a soft spot for May's brother, Max. What they didn't know (and never were able to learn before he left for Hoenn) was whether or not he felt the same for her.

The tranquility was interrupted as Ash let out his five Pokémon, keeping Pikachu on his shoulder. The powerful Grass-type Sceptile placed a twig in his mouth and grinned over at Blaziken, hoping to have a sparring partner in the Fire-Fighting type. A large, bird Pokémon came out and immediately took off into the sky, seeming ot follow May's Beautifly. Also appearing were the small Water-Type crustacean Corphish, who was greeted by the dancing crocodile, Donphan, who reintroduced himself to the echidna after evolving while traveling with Ash, and the small, purple monkey known as Aipom, who hopped on to Ash's shoulder opposite Pikachu.

May grinned and stepped closer to him. "You're just a king among Pokémon, aren't you?"

"I guess I am," he laughed. "But I guess that makes you their queen."

Ash and May had a laugh at that while Pikachu leapt from the boy's shoulder and began calling his comrades around to tell them of the adventure of the Battle Frontier, as well as Ash and May's new relationship.

One of Ash's Pokémon, however, had seen more than enough.

Her red eyes were narrowed at the girl her trainer was laughing with. She dug one of her feet against the ground threatening to charge. When no one noticed her, she growled. The grass-type began charging at May, fury inside her heart.

May was completely caught off guard as the saurian Pokémon tackled her away from Ash. That wasn't good enough for her, though, so she reached for May with vines that extended from around her neck.

"Ash!" May leapt out of the way, "what's up with your Bayleef?"

"Bayleef!" Ash called to her, "cut it out!" However, the stubborn Pokémon refused to listen and reached for May again. Ash knew he had to take action. "Cyndaquil!" he called to the echidna at his feet, "use Flamethrower on Bayleef's vines!"

The sleepy Fire-type stepped up and flexed his back, causing a fire to start upon it. Channeling this heat and energy through his body, he launched a stream of fire at Bayleef's vines that chased May about the area, causing the Grass Pokémon to turn her gaze at the traitorous Fire Mouse. She began charging at Cyndaquil, but the nimble Fire-type leapt above Bayleef's head, causing her to careen into the crocodile. The Water-type became angry and shot a powerful blast of water from his mouth at Bayleef.

"Totodile, calm down!" Ash tried to ease the tensions. But the Big Jaw Pokémon wouldn't listen and continued to attack Bayleef.

Four vines shot out between all of the warring factions, causing trainer and Pokémon alike to look to where it came from. Two small blue Pokémon stepped closer, each with two vines extended. Both had a large, green plant bulb on their backs, but had different patterns across their bodies.

"Bulb a saur!" the larger of the two Pokémon said, approaching the battlers. He held a stern look in his eyes.

"Bulba!" the smaller of the two chimed in, sticking close to the larger one.

Grunting, Bayleef stopped her attack, and backed away from May, jealousy in her eyes. Cyndaquil yawned and let his fire sputter out, and Totodile just fell backwards on the ground, tired from the battle.

"Thanks, Bulbasaur," Ash sighed with relief. "That was getting pretty dicey."

"Bulba!" the Grass-and-Poison Pokémon smiled from the praise.

May stepped over to the Bulbasaur. "Well, isn't my little Bulbasaur being so brave!" she praised her Pokémon, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Babulba," May's Bulbasaur smiled and swayed slightly.

"Professor," Ash said as he and May picked up their respective Bulbasaur, "why was Bayleef acting so funny?"

Oak put his hand to his chin and thought. "I believe Bayleef is jealous of May," he said.

"Huh?" Ash blinked at the implication.

"It means that Bayleef has a crush on you, Ash," May giggled. Bayleef, blushing with embarrassment, fled away from Ash and the rest of the Pokémon.

"Bayleef, wait!" Ash called to her as she ran.

Oak stepped up behind him. "No, Ash, I'll deal with her. I'll get her acting like her old self again."

Ash looked glum. "Thanks, Professor," he sighed.

"I've missed you, Bulbasaur," May smiled to her Grass-type. "Have you had fun here with Ash's Bulbasaur?"

May's Bulbasaur blushed in her trainer's arms and sighed, turning to look at Ash and his Bulbasaur. Uttering only a single, "Bulb," May's Bulbasaur stared dreamily at Ash's, while the boy's Pokémon conversed with his trainer, causing them both to laugh.

"I bet you like Ash's Bulbasaur, huh?" May grinned to the Bulbasaur she held. The Pokémon blushed, and looked away from May. "I can tell, I was like that, too, recently. Take it at your own pace, Bulbasaur. I'm sure he likes you, too."

With that, May sat her Bulbsaur back into the grass. Ash finished his conversation with his Bulbasaur and set him down as well. The boy then took Aipom off his shoulder and placed her down next to Pikachu. The monkey Pokémon seemed confused as to why her trainer removed her from his shoulder. "You stay here with the rest of the Pokémon and have fun, Aipom. May and I are gonna go spend some time in town together."

May's eyes lit up. "You really mean it, Ash?" she asked, her voice giddy with excitement.

"Yeah, I said I would, didn't I?" he reminded her.

"Yay!" she cheered. "Thank you, Ash!"

"We'll see you later, Professor," Ash told him as they began to leave. He turned to Pikachu. "You have fun with the other Pokémon, okay Pikachu?"

"Pika!" he smiled to his trainer. Pikachu then darted off to play with his friends that had been staying at the lab. Ash and May then turned and left the ranch, and subsequently the lab. Aipom, however, just watched Ash and May leave, paying no attention to the other Pokémon. She sat and thought for a moment, then, grinning in her trademark style, darted off into the trees.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed this week's installment. See you next time!**


	3. In the Aipom of my hand

"So Ash," May leaned on him as they walked, "what's there to do in Pallet Town?"

"Well, there's plenty of good places to eat," Ash began as he lead her down the road into the more developed part of town.

May giggled. "Yeah, if there's anything we know how to do together, it's eating."

"I thought we would go to an arcade, first," Ash smiled to himself. "We'd play some games there first."

May rolled her eyes as they continued to stroll through town. "An arcade? That's nice, and all but-" she cut herself off as her eyes widened.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that the only arcade in Pallet is inside this movie theatre?" Ash chuckled to himself.

And for the small town that Pallet was, they had quite the movie theatre. A large, hulking building, made of concrete stood before May. It imposingly cast a shadow enveloping the couple as they stepped closer to it. "Y-Y-You're-" May tried to get it out of her mouth.

"I was just pulling your leg," Ash nudged her bandana. "I'm taking you to a movie. That's the reason I asked Pikachu if he would like to stay at Oak's for now. The last time I was here, they wouldn't let Pokémon inside."

May just smiled and threw herself into Ash's arms. "I love you, Ash!" she squealed.

"Now, I'm not a hero yet," he chuckled, giving her a short hug, "let's make sure there's a good movie on."

They stepped inside the large glass doors into the lobby. Hanging from a tree on the outside, a small Pokémon growled and shook her tiny fists at the door.

The building smelled of buttery popcorn as customers paid for snacks before going off into the theatre. The floor was carpeted in red, with tiny black swirls all along it. Ash, trying to decide on a movie, looked at what was playing that wouldn't be too long of a wait. The words were shown on an electronic board behind the counter where a teenager with oily hair waited for the patrons to choose a movie.

May picked up a sheet of paper from a nearby table and began scanning it for movie titles. _Do I want a scary movie, so I can get Ash to hold me? Nah, I never really liked scary movies, anyway. Huh?_ she focused her gaze on one particular movie. _What's this one?_ she began reading.

It was titled "_Pokémon Ranger to Umi no Ōjo."_ The subtitle listed it as "_Pokémon Ranger and the Princess of the Sea._" It was a foreign film, but according to the paper listing on the sheet of paper, it was about a handsome young Pokémon Ranger and his encounters with a beautiful girl he only could meet at the edge of the sea. Unknown to him, she was the princess of an underwater kingdom, and her father had a natural distrust of the people who walked on land. 'Will these young people fight against their prejudices and fall in love?' the paper asked her silently.

There was only one way to find out.

"Ash, let's see the Pokémon Ranger movie!" she tugged his arm toward the ticket booth, shoving the sheet of paper in his face.

Ash looked blankly to the name of the movie. "Um, won't it be hard to understand a movie in a different language?" he blinked.

May pushed him ahead. "Of course not! We'll have subtitles!" she told him. Ash sighed at the thought of reading a movie.

"Two for Pokémon Ranger," he sighed, reaching for his wallet. The teen gave him the tickets in exchange for the money and allowed Ash and May to pass. The couple looked at their tickets; the show would start in about fifteen minutes. May and Ash silently decided to go to the snack bar. Ash was determined to be a gentleman; when May offered to buy her own snacks he replied: "Don't worry about it. A champion of the Battle Frontier can handle this." May sighed and let his ego buy the snacks as she went ahead to go find the theatre. Ash ended up with two jumbo drinks and a huge tub of popcorn and found himself unable to carry them on his own. He sighed, knowing that Pikachu could have lent a helping hand. He clumsily wrapped his arms around the snacks and began to follow May.

The Pokémon trainer looked about for his girlfriend, but she had disappeared in the crowd. He glanced skyward for the large signs that told him the direction of their theatre. As he turned to the correct direction, he felt one of the soda cups slipping from his grip. Desperately trying against all odds, he tried to use his knee to nudge the cup up so he could reaffix his grip onto it. Grunting, he missed the cup as it fell to the ground. Ash cringed as he listened for the crashing of the cup.

Instead, he heard a Pokémon. "Ei!" she said, catching the cup in her catchers-glove tail.

"Aipom!" Ash shouted in a hushed tone. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh-hoh," she lifted her tail up so Ash could reach it.

"T-thanks, Aipom," he said, taking the cup from her, "but you're supposed to be at Oak's."

"Ei?" she tilted her head to the side, her silly grin on her face.

"If you get seen, we'll both be thrown out," Ash told Aipom. "And after how much this is costing me, I'm not gonna let you blow it."

Aipom raised her paw up, as if she had an idea, and then scrambled up into Ash's sweatshirt. She clung to his back wrapped her tail around his midsection to keep herself stationary.

"Alright, you can stay there, Aipom, but don't do anything funny, alright?" Ash said to himself.

"O-ho," his back responded. A couple of passerby raised their eyebrows to the boy speaking to himself, but mentioned nothing.

Ash waddled back past the usher into the theatre where May was waiting.

* * *

May was leaning back in her chair, waiting for Ash to catch up with her. She entertained herself (much to the dismay of everyone else in the theater) by reading the advertisement slides shown on the screen out loud. When ever a quiz question popped up, she would also voice her guess to the rest of the audience, followed by a "Yay, I got it right," or an "Aww, shoot, I shoulda picked the other one," depending on circumstances. 

When Ash finally made his way into the theater, May thought something was different about him. She decided that interrogating him on suspicious activity could wait until after she got some popcorn and soda. Setting the tub between them, Ash handed her one of the sodas as he sat down next to her.

"Ei!" something squeeked.

"Ei hope they start the movie soon," Ash tried to cover up.

May raised her eyebrow at this, but said nothing, as the lights were dimming and the show was about to start.

* * *

The Pokémon Ranger was making his first trip underwater with the help of two Lanturn he had used his Capture Styler on. He looked over and saw the beautiful princess, hiding behind a Wailmer. 

Ash reached into the tub and sighed; between May, himself, and his 'guest', nearly all the popcorn was gone. He had been lucky that May was so absorbed in reading the subtitles (out loud when the princess spoke) she hadn't noticed the extra hand going in and out of Ash's sweatshirt. Ash handed the tub over to May to let her eat the remainder of the popcorn. The girl took it and began shoveling the last kernels in her mouth. Ash smiled at how cute she looked when she was stuffing her mouth and reached for his soda. His hand missed the cup, as a pale palm snatched it up and took it under his sweatshirt, behind his back.

Ash reached behind him and wrestled the cup from his Pokémon's grip. "Aipom, Cut it out!" he said in a hushed tone, yanking the cup away.

"What'd you say, Ash?" May turned and looked over at him.

"I-uh said," he thought much more quickly than average, "I hope they keep the lights out," he smiled, placing his arm around her shoulders.

"Oh, Ash…" May became quiet as she leaned in. "Make sure we don't give people a show that they didn't pay for, 'kay?" she whispered.

Ash rolled his eyes, glad that the dark room hid this action from May. He had no intention of kissing May in front of all these people, but he had to cover up for Aipom, right? May rested her head against him as she continued to watch the movie and drink her soda.

Ash focused on the screen. The princess and the Ranger (who was named Kazuki) were talking (the Ranger though the assistance of one of the breathing masks similar to the ones that Ash had used before while in Cerulean with Misty during their adventures before Ash's first Pokémon League). They related their experiences from living in different places. The Ranger asked if she could that him deeper to see some rare Pokémon, as that is why he came to the sea (earlier in the movie, he had been charged with the task of recording all of the species of Pokémon in the area for conservational purposes). The princess agreed, and began to lead him downward.

He felt something moving around his back. Ash looked over May's head in horror as he saw Aipom's tail reaching out from his sweatshirt. Afraid that smacking Aipom's tail would only give the Pokémon's location away, Ash watched and prayed silently that Aipom wouldn't do anything wrong.

He broke into a cold sweat as the palm hovered down May's back, ending close to the bottom of her seat. A myriad of possible outcomes began rushing through Ash's mind. _Aipom wouldn't, right?_ he assured himself. _Aipom wouldn't!_

Aipom did.

The palm hovered close to May's bottom, and nipped at it with a pinch, causing the girl to sit up with an "Eeep!"

As Aipom quickly retracted her tail, Ash's eyes were overcome with fear as May turned to him. "Ash Ketchum, if that was your hand, I'm going to make sure you never throw a Pokéball again for as long as you live," she growled lowly, her sapphire eyes burning with rage.

"It wasn't me!" Ash leapt out of his seat, shouting. He reached into his sweatshirt and grabbed Aipom by her long tail. Pulling quickly so the Long Tail Pokémon couldn't grip with her clumsy hands, he ripped the Normal-type out of her hiding place. "It was Aipom!"

"Why is Aipom here if you're not supposed to bring any Pokémon into the theater?" May stood up and put her hands on her hips, wanting an explanation.

"Could you two keep it down?" A husky man behind them told the couple. "You're going to ruin the movie for the rest of us.'

Ash turned his head to defend himself, but stopped short when he recognized him.

"You didn't expect to see me again so soon?" the man smiled from behind his round sunglasses.

"Scott?" Ash and May blinked. "What are you doing here?"

"Sit back and enjoy the rest of the movie," Scott chuckled. "We'll catch up afterwards.

* * *

May had never been too sure what to think of Scott. She met him for the first time outside of the Battle Factory, where Ash got his first Frontier Symbol. A large, but jolly man, Scott would always show up where Pokémon Battles were going on. He seemed to take a special interest in Ash's battles against his handpicked Frontier Brains, although he did show up at the Kanto Grand Festival to watch the battles going on there. He seemed a bit seedy to May: he always showed up with his curly brown hair just as she and her friends had arrived at the various facilities around Kanto. 

Now, he was here, in Pallet Town, treating her and her boyfriend to pizza.

"I remembered what you said about hanging in Pallet before going off on your next adventure," Scott said, sitting down at the small outdoor table Ash and May sat at. Aipom sat on the boy's shoulder, and both of them looked apologetically to May.

"Aipom was probably just reaching for my soda again," Ash rationalized. "She didn't mean to pinch you."

May looked scornfully at Aipom. "Well, you're still a bad girl, Aipom. You shouldn't have left Oak's."

"Eipom…" the disciplined Pokémon sighed, slinking down Ash's back.

"Anyway," Scott coughed, bringing the attention back to himself, "I came here to ask a favor of you, Ash."

"Huh?" Ash turned to Scott. "Why me?"

"Well, you are the most recent challenger to defeat the first seven of the Frontier Brains," Scott mentioned. "I thought a trainer of your caliber would like to help."

"Wait a minute," May furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "'The first seven?' Does that mean there are more Frontier Brains?"

Scott laughed. "I'm always willing to expand my Frontier, May. I've built another facility on an island in the Sevii Islands."

"The Sevii Islands?" Ash looked to him. "Where's that?"

"The Sevii Islands are a chain of seven islands south of Johto," Scott explained. "Each one has a name, but the cities are numbered." The man reached into his large pockets and pulled out a map. He unfurled it before the traveling trainers. He pointed to the chain of islands situated between the Orange Islands and Hoenn, sitting south of the Johto Region. "I've built a new facility called the Battle Fortress on Chrono Island, and I wanted you to give my new Brain a 'test drive' so to speak."

"That sounds fun, Scott," Ash smiled, putting down the slice of pepperoni pizza he was eating. "I'd love to test out your new Brain."

"Wait!" May halted him. "What about my contests? We can't just go somewhere for you."

"That's true," Ash sighed.

"Wait!" Scott jumped up. "What if I told you that there's a Pokémon Contest on Floe Island?"

"A Contest?" May looked at him.

"Yeah, a Contest," he sighed. "So there's something for you both to do in the Sevii Islands."

"I don't know," May sighed. "If it's only one contest, then it's not much practice…"

"Well, Seven Island is also known for being a great resort town," Scott told them. "Afterwards, I'm sure you two could have some private time on Quest Island."

"Wait," Ash was confused for a second, "Why did you just call Seven Island, 'Quest Island'?"

"That's because that's what it's called," Scott grinned. "As I said, each of the Sevii Islands has a name, but the cities on them are numbered one through seven. Seven Island is the name of the city on Quest Island."

"Alright, I think I understand now," Ash sighed.

May was sold. "Well, what do you think, Ash? It sounds like it'll be a good detour from going to a large region, doesn't it."

Ash smiled back. "Sure. I always want to battle tougher opponents. And it sounds like fun, going to the islands."

Scott reached into his pockets and took out two ferry tickets, handing them to Ash. "I figured that you'd say yes," his sunglasses gleamed, "so I went ahead and made arrangements for you two to take a ferry to One Island in the morning. That is, if you don't mind."

May snatched the tickets out of his hand. "It is a bit sudden, but I'd love to go see some tropical islands!"

"Well, we better head by Oak's lab and pick up our Pokémon," Ash told her. He turned to the man, saying "Thank you, Scott. I won't let you down."

"I'm sure you won't," The man grinned. "And with that, I'll excuse myself. I don't need to cramp the style of such a cute couple any longer." And with that, he rose and departed into the crowd of people.

Ash had returned to devouring the pizza pie Scott left in their care, with the Aipom on his shoulder also taking a piece. May smiled at the two and began taking her share. After all, she would have to get her strength up for her new adventure, too.

* * *

"Hey, everyone!" Ash called out as he and May stepped back into Oak's ranch. 

"We're back!" May echoed his tone, causing all of their Pokémon to rush out to meet them.

From the grass, water and trees, Ash and May's Pokémon all rushed out to meet them. Ash was tackled to the ground by Donphan, knocking Aipom from his shoulder. Pikachu leapt onto his chest, happy to see his friend again.

"I've missed you, too, Pikachu," Ash laughed.

May laughed as Skitty and Eevee leapt onto her shoulders and nuzzled their trainer. "Aww, you two are so cute," May rubbed behind their ears.

"Which Pokémon should I take with me?" Ash pondered. "Defiantly Pikachu," he laughed as the Pokémon nuzzled his face. "And I need to keep Aipom out of trouble, so I guess she's coming along, too." This caused the deviant Normal-type to hop about happily.

"Blaziken!" May called for her starter Pokémon. A tired Blaziken and Sceptile stumbled in through the bushes, each approaching their trainer. Blaziken fell to her knee and breathed heavily. "I guess you and Sceptile have been sparing this entire time, haven't you?" she asked.

"Ken," the Fire-and-Fighting Pokémon nodded.

May reached for her Pokéball. "Return, Blaziken!" A red beam shot from the red and white ball, drawing the Pokémon inside. "You need to rest, because I'm definitely taking you along, and speaking of keeping certain Pokémon out of trouble," she turned to her larger Normal-Type. "Munchlax, you're coming too, so you don't get in trouble.

"Munch!" the jolly Pokémon agreed as he was drawn into his Pokéball.

"Hey, Cyndaquil," Ash leaned down to the echidna, "you were awesome earlier. You wanna come along with me, again?"

"Cyndaquil!" the Pokémon nodded.

Sceptile stepped forward. "Tile!" he challenged.

"Don't worry, Sceptile, I was planning on taking you, as well," Ash laughed to his large Forest Pokémon.

Ash looked to the large remaining group of Pokémon. They knew that only two places were left in Ash's lineup, so they all began raising their voices for a chance to be taken.

All except for Bulbasaur, who was sitting nearby May's Bulbasaur, talking to her.

May stepped closer to the Bulbasaur pair. "I guess neither of you wanna come with us, huh?" she asked the couple.

They shook their heads, and returned to their conversation. May smiled, knowing love when she saw it.

"I guess that means I can take both of you, huh?" May said as she stood with Eevee and Skitty on her shoulders. The two small Pokémon cheered as their place with May was confirmed. May giggled as a long mouth fell before her. She felt the familiar presence of Beautifly on her head. "You can come, too, Beautifly," she grinned to her Pokémon, causing her to trill in delight.

Ash still faced the hard decision. He wanted to take them all with him, but he could only take two more. "Since I haven't taken Totodile or Muk anywhere recently," he said, after much deliberating, "why don't I let you two come along?"

The purple sludge Pokémon smiled in confirmation. He leapt onto the boy, almost covering him entirely. "Muuuuuk," the Poison-type grinned.

The small water-type giddily hopped over to Muk and his trainer. A wide, toothy grin on his face, Totodile fired his Water Gun, knocking Muk off. Totodile danced for Ash, waiting to be praised.

"Good work, Totodile," Ash smiled, causing the reptile to leap into his arms and croak happily.

May stepped over to Ash. "Let's get everyone in their Pokéballs, and head back to your house. We have an early morning tomorrow."

Ash nodded, and stood up. He smiled to the team he had assembled as Pikachu leapt to his shoulder. Now was the time to rest. Tomorrow, their next adventure would begin.

* * *

**Okay, just so we're clear, Ash's line up is Pikachu, Aipom, Sceptile, Muk, Cyndaquil, and Totodile. May has Blaziken, Skitty, Eevee, Munchlax, and Beautifly. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. See you next week.**


	4. Dinner and a Rerun

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I have to go take a final soon.**

* * *

Ash and May bid Oak farewell as they gathered their Pokéballs and set out to return to Ash's home under the setting sun. As Ash related to Pikachu the experience that Aipom put him through, May looked at the tickets she snatched from Scott earlier.

"…and then she pinched May's butt!" Ash continued telling the story.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, surprised at the lack of morals that one of his team mates held.

"I'm glad Scott jumped in, or May would have torn me apart," Ash joked to his partner. The Electric-type nodded and smiled, glad that Ash had escaped from real harm.

May, however, was reading the small font on the tickets. "I think it says we have to be at the port in Pallet Town at 10:30 to make our ride," she told the boys as they walked to Ash's home. "I wonder what Scott would have done with these tickets if we said 'no'? It seems like you'd have to register in advance to get tickets for such an impressive ship."

"It's an impressive ship?" Ash raised his eyebrow as Pikachu hopped over his hair to sit on the shoulder closer to May.

"Yeah, it says that the ship is called a Seagallop ferry," May pointed out the words. "I read once that a trip on a Seagallop ferry takes literal minutes to travel from faraway places. It's a kind of bullet train boat thing."

May's terminology left Ash confused. "It's a train that runs on water?" Pikachu also expressed his confusion.

May sighed. "Ugh, no. It's just a really fast ship."

"Then why didn't you say so in the first place?" Ash asked her.

"I dunno," May defended herself, "I guess I thought that you'd be able to understand."

"Well, sorry for not understanding, then," Ash huffed, acid in his tone.

"Apology accepted," May grinned, messing up Ash's hair. "C'mon! Race you back to your place!" she laughed, running down the path.

"Hey, wait up!" Ash called to her, trying to chase her down.

Giggling, May led Ash down the road into his front yard. "Looks like I won," May turned to him.

"Oh, yeah?" the trainer sneered. He tackled May to the ground, causing the two to wrestle each other in front of the door, rolling on the ground. May rolled Ash over onto his back, and then began tickling him. Ash countered by raising his hand up to May's bare armpits and began to tickle her. The girl doubled back and fell, completely immobilized in laughter as Ash raised himself over her, ready to take advantage.

Pikachu fell off from the initial attack, tumbling on the grass, landing at the feet of a woman who watched the event unfolding with growing interest.

May pushed him down with her feet, clad in her running shoes. "Oh, no you don't," she grinned. "I won this time, and I'm gonna get my prize."

"And what makes you think you're gonna get a prize outta me?" Ash grinned back.

"I have my ways," May fluttered her eyelids, causing Ash to blush at the implications.

"Oh really?" Delia said, surveying the situation with Pikachu on her shoulder. "And what ways are these?"

May's face turned bright red, matching her blouse and skirt. "I-uh I mean-"

"And I wonder what this entire tickling thing was about?" she turned to Ash, her voice letting both of them know that she had already passed judgment.

"May started it!" Ash passed the blame onto his girlfriend.

"I'm surprised at you," May stood, narrowing her gaze. "Passing the blame onto a girl. Your girlfriend, no less."

"Wait, I mean-" Ash knew he was in a no-win situation.

"You two, go inside," Delia told the children, "before I decide to punish some of you and tell the parents of others."

"Yes, ma'am," they both ran inside, fearing the actions of the mother. Delia smiled to herself and followed them inside.

A cheerful Psychic Pokémon swept the floor as Ash and May abandoned their shoes at the door. He looked over at the trainers and huffed as he swept up after them as they plunked down on the couch.

"Now what are we gonna do?" Ash asked May, distressed from the odd situation his mother found them in.

May looked at the VCR that sat under the television. "Well, its 6:34 right now," she said. "I think I'll take a shower before dinner." It was after that was said that Delia stepped into the living room. "And now seems like a good time." She leapt over the back of the couch and scurried up the stairs.

"Hey, wait May!" Ash called for her, not wanting to face his mother on his own.

As Delia approached Ash, Pikachu leapt from the mother's shoulder to Ash's. "At least Pikachu won't abandon me," he muttered.

"What were you two doing out there, Ash?" Delia asked her son, sitting on the couch next to him.

"Well, May raced me home and won," Ash tried to explain his rational. "I tackled her and we wrestled for a bit."

"Why did you tackle her?" Delia asked.

"I dunno," he shrugged. "I guess I thought we were just playin'."

Delia chastised her son. "You shouldn't play so roughly with her. Girls are delicate and you might've hurt her."

"Yes, ma'am," Ash looked down.

"It's alright, honey," Delia smiled, running her hand through his hair. "Just don't do it again, alright?" She tilted her head to the side. "Where's your hat, honey?"

"Oh," Ash realized he wasn't wearing one. "I gave it to Max when he had to go to Hoenn, as a going-away present."

"That's very thoughtful of you, sweetie," the mother smiled. "Are you gonna wear your old Pokémon League hat?"

"Actually," Ash blushed, "May said she liked it better when I wasn't wearing a hat, so I was gonna go without one for a while."

"That's so cute, dear," Delia giggled. "Just don't forget to put a hat on when it gets cold out."

"Yes, mom," Ash smiled.

"So, what are your plans for tomorrow?" she asked her son.

Ash looked down. "I know you wanted me to stay in town longer, but May and I have a boat trip to take in the morning to the Sevii Islands."

"Sevii Islands?" Delia had a look on her face much like Ash's when Scott explained it to him earlier that day.

"It's a chain of islands south of Johto. Scott said he built a new Battle Frontier facility there and he wanted me to test the new Brain he chose. There's also a contest and other things to do in the islands," Ash regurgitated the explanation Scott gave him earlier in the day.

"I knew that you wouldn't be around for long, honey," Delia sighed. "That means I'll just have to make a bigger dinner for you tonight, then."

"Thanks, Mom," Ash smiled to his mother. Delia stood and stepped into the kitchen. She called Mimey in behind her; the rest of her evening was going to be spent cooking.

* * *

Ash and May sat down in front of the veritable feast Ash's mother and her Pokémon had prepared for them. "Wow, it all looks so good!" May squealed with delight before beginning to fix her plate.

"Yeah, and there's so much, I don't think we'll be able to eat it all," Ash commented.

"I wanted to make sure there was plenty to make leftovers with so you two wouldn't get hungry," Delia smiled.

The door bell rang, halting all conversation and food gathering. "I wonder who that could be." May stood up and began approaching the door.

Delia led the way into the living room with May and Ash behind her (Pikachu residing on Ash's shoulder, where he hoped to get some of the meal as well). Delia opened the door, to reveal four figures standing in the door.

In front was a short 'boy', dressed in a green shirt and brown shorts. He wore glasses over his broad face, with a charm sitting above the unsupported nosepiece.

To his right stood what would accurately be described as a blobby blue version of Brock. His eyes were taught shut, with a brown over shirt and slacks giving him a monotone dress.

Above them stood two much older individuals. A woman with long orange hair put a forced clueless look on her face. She was dressed in a yellow outfit, with shorts that hugged her body tightly. The man to her left had jet-black hair supported by a headband. He wore a green shirt and brown shorts.

May leaned closer to Ash and Pikachu. "Who does Team Rocket think they're fooling?"

"Oh, Ash," Delia smiled at the imposters. "All of your friends have come to see you!"

Ash sighed. "Well, they tricked one person, at least."

'Max' stepped inside. "Oh hey, twe-I mean, sis," he caught himself.

"We've gotta find a way to expose 'em," Ash whispered to May. "If we attack them before my Mom knows it's Team Rocket, she might freak out."

May nodded and turned to her 'brother.' "Max, what are you doing here? Mom and Dad wanted you to go to home," she acted to the best of her ability.

"Oh, yeah," the smallest one tried to cover up. "Eh-Mom and Dad said I could come back and hang out wit yous guys again."

"Wobbuffet!" 'Brock' added, snapping his arm to his forehead.

Ash and May rolled their eyes at the team's poor acting. "So, Tracey," Ash smiled at the man dressed as a person much younger than he was, "have you and Misty kissed yet?"

'Tracey' turned pale. "M-me and her?" he looked at 'Misty' in fear. "No way! Never!"

'Misty' stomped sharply onto 'Tracey's foot. "Like I'd want your germs on me, anyway!" she spat.

"Why don't you all come into the kitchen?" Delia smiled, motioning for them to come inside. "We were just about to have supper."

"Don't mind if we do!" the three new guests who were able to speak shouted.

Ash, May, Delia and their new guests all sat down and began to eat. 'Tracey', 'Misty', and 'Max' were the most ravenous of the eaters, surpassing even Ash and May in a lack of table manners. Ash and May still ate from the feast Delia prepared, knowing that they'll still have to keep their strength up even after they dispose of Team Rocket.

After licking her plate clean, "Misty" walked over to Ash, eyeing Pikachu. "Say, Twer- I mean pal, why don't we have a practice battle?"

Ash eyed her, chewing on a piece of beef. "Sure. I don't see any trouble."

At 'trouble', the orange haired imposter froze.

"Hey, Max," Delia looked across the table to the boy's imposter, "where did the hat Ash gave you go?"

"I-uh, it got stolen by a flock a' Taillow?" 'Max' searched for an answer.

"That's funny," May said after swallowing a bite of chicken. "I thought Taillow only lived in the Hoenn Region."

"Yeah, Max," Ash looked at him. "If you don't keep up your studies, you're going to get in trouble with Norman."

All of the uninvited guests froze again at 'trouble.'

"T-trouble, eh?" the woman smiled. "Well then…"

Brandishing a device from her pocket, she snatched Pikachu up in a small, expandable net. Leaping back to stand next to Tracey, Brock, and Max, she smiled. "Well, then, prepare for trouble!"

"And while I'm a twerp, let's make it double!" Tracey added.

"An evil as old as the galaxy!" Misty raised her voice, as if presenting something.

"Sent here to fulfill our destiny!" Tracey followed her lead.

"And dere's me!" Max leapt up.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" Misty continued.

"To extend our reach to the stars above!" Tracey added.

"Jessie!" she shouted, tossing aside her disguise, revealing her Rocket Uniform, although her hair was still dyed orange.

"James!" he threw his off, as well. A black wig fell to the floor, allowing his blue hair to shine in the kitchen light.

"And Meowth are da names! Ha!" he threw the glasses at May, showing his small, fur-covered body.

"Anywhere there's peace in the Universe…" Jessie stood before the three other people in the house, with only Delia gasping in surprise.

"…Team Rocket…" James held a red rose in his hand.

"…will be dere…" Meowth grinned while Pikachu struggled in the net.

"…to make everything worse!" they all shot out their hands at Ash's family.

"I would have never suspected that it would be Team Rocket in my own home!" Delia was shocked.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered his partner.

Jessie sneered. "Oh, yeah, like that's gonna work."

"Pi-ka-chuuu!" the mouse Pokémon unleashed a massive charge from his body. The charge was conducted up the net into Jessie's arms, causing her hair to frizz up and return to its red color. The woman dropped the net, allowing Pikachu to go freely back to his trainer.

"But I thought we opted for the shock proof net," the dazed woman asked her team mates.

Meowth blushed in embarrassment. "Well, da twoips tried it so much, I thought dey wouldn't try to shock it again."

"Well, were not going to let them get away with this!" Jessie reached for her Pokéballs. James stepped up next to her and reached for his Pokémon as well.

Suddenly a blue glow surrounded Team Rocket. Delia stepped forward, anger in her eyes. "I will not have you wreaking my son's only meal before he leaves again. Mimey, if you don't mind."

"Mime, Mr. Mime!" her Pokémon grinned. The paralyzed team was lifted up and gently carried outside the house as Ash, May, Delia and Mimey followed.

"Now, send them flying!" She shouted in a way reminiscent of her son.

"Mr. Mime!" Mimey made a tossing action. Team Rocket flew far up into the air, hurtling towards the distance.

"Next time, always be prepared!" Jessie throttled Meowth as they zoomed in the air.

"At least we got fed today," James pointed out the bright side.

"Wobbuffet!" it agreed.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ketchum!" they shouted back. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they screamed as they disappeared in the distance.

* * *

After Delia set the dishes to soak for Mimey to clean later, the family all plunked down in the living room.

"I dunno about you guys, but I'm beat," May slumped down. "I'm ready for sleep."

"Well, you just go make yourself comfortable in Ash's room if you're tired, honey," Delia offered.

Ash blushed slightly. "But where am I gonna sleep, Mom?" he asked her, turning to the woman who shared the couch with him.

"Silly boy," Delia grinned. "You're going to be a gentleman and let May use your bed. You'll sleep downstairs on the couch."

"Mrs. Ketchum," May spoke up. "I'd actually feel much safer if Ash was closer by. In the hall outside his door, perhaps?"

A blank look crossed the mother's face. "I don't see a problem with that. Just as long as you're okay with it, May." Delia let out a yawn. "I'm going off to bed. You two don't stay up too late, now," she warned them as she began up the stairs to her room.

"You're not really gonna force me to sleep in the hall, are you?" Ash asked, Pikachu laying flatly in his hair.

"Of course not," May smiled at him mischievously. "I'm gonna want you in the room, of course. How can you protect me if you're outside?"

"Thanks, May," Ash smiled, relieved.

"Don't get so happy," May narrowed her eyes. "I'm still getting the bed."

With Pikachu on Ash's shoulder, the couple slipped into Ash's room, ignoring the loud snoring coming in from across the hall.

May closed the door behind them as Ash fell backwards onto his bed, causing Pikachu to tumble off his shoulder onto a pillow.

"I'm beat, too," Ash yawned. "I'm ready for a good night's sleep."

"Pika…" Ash's partner added with much the same tone.

"Didn't your mom tell you to let me have the bed?" May grinned to Ash, who was too tired to notice.

"Yeah, but this is my room," Ash responded turning to his side.

"Yeah, and I'm your girlfriend," May reminded him, yanking him off the bed by his leg.

Ash fell on the ground next to his bed with a thud. May leapt onto the bed and grabbed Pikachu, holding him close. As a disgruntled and tired Ash sat up, May looked at him, her eyes wide and pitiful. "You're not gonna make Pikachu and me have to sleep on the cold ground, are you?"

Ash grunted. "Fine," he gave in. "It's just not fair that you get my bed in my house."

"Why don't we share then?" May beckoned him closer.

"My bed isn't exactly designed for more than one person," Ash retorted.

May looked down and took in the size of the bed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It wouldn't be fair just to give me the bed…" she thought out loud, "…why don't we play rock-paper-scissors for it?"

"That sounds fair," Ash sat up, holding his hand in the air. "On three, alright?"

"Okay," May acknowledged, also holding her fist in the air, letting Pikachu fall to her side.

"One, two, three, shoot!" the couple shook their fists in the air, each of them trying to pick the instrument that would defeat their opponent's choice. On shoot, Ash and May made their choices, holding their hands triumphantly in the air.

A look of annoyance crossed both of their faces, for they had both balled up their fists into rocks.

"We think too much alike sometimes," Ash sighed.

"Pika!" he brought attention to himself.

Ash and May, still holding their rocks in the air, turned their heads to see Pikachu, standing there with his paw raised into the air, making a flat shape.

"I guess Pikachu chose paper," Ash noted.

"Does that mean Pikachu gets the bed to himself?" May blinked at what had just happened.

Smiling, Pikachu nodded and motioned for May to go to the floor. Sighing at her loss, May slid slowly off the bed next to the seated Ash. Pikachu stretched his arms and legs and curled up comfortably on the bed.

"That's not fair," May huffed. "He doesn't need all that room. One of us should be up there."

Ash pulled her sleeping bag out of her pack and tossed it to her. "At least we can use these," he smiled. "Pikachu won't get the bed next time, if we have to team up against him to do it."

May grinned at him. "That's good. I'd hate to have to sleep on the floor every time because of Pikachu."

Ash unrolled his own sleeping bag and laid it down next to May's. He was about to slip into his sleeping bag when he realized he was still wearing his sweatshirt. He took it off by pulling it over his head and tossed it into the corner.

May watched this, and realized that she was also still fully dressed. She went into her pack and pulled out a large, yellow shirt and began to leave the room.

"I'll be right back," May told Ash as she opened the door. "I'm just gonna change into my sleeping clothes." The girl slid out the door, and closed it gently.

Ash looked over at the bed again. "Hey, Pikachu, you asleep yet?"

His loyal Pokémon let out a groggy "Pi…" and a yawn.

"Are you excited about going to the Sevii Islands, buddy?" he asked, crawling over to Pikachu.

"Pikachu," he nodded. He then cocked his head to the side. "Pika pika, Pikapi?"

Ash looked out his window. "I'm actually kinda worried. This is gonna be the first time that May and I are gonna be traveling alone, ya know?"

"Pikapika," he responded.

"I guess I'm kinda worried about being able to take care of her," he said as he removed his blue jeans, exposing his dark boxer shorts. "I mean, we've always had Brock to watch out for us and cook for us and stuff. One of us is gonna have to take the cooking role, at least."

"Pika pikachu?" Pikachu tried to see what he was meaning.

"That came out wrong," Ash laughed. He thought for a moment about what he was trying to say. "May and I have always had someone like Max or Brock to make sure we keep our feelings under control. So things don't get out of control. But now were not gonna have 'em, and I'm worried that I'll screw up my relationship with her by trying to advance it too quickly. I love her a lot; I don't want her to hate me."

"Pika, pikachu pika pikachu Pikapika pika pi, Pikapi," the electric mouse advised before yawning again and returning to sleep.

"I guess I will," Ash resolved. He slid into his sleeping bag, using the pillow to prop his head up so that he could keep his gaze stationed on the door while he waited for May to return.


	5. Bouken no Hajimari da!

**Is everyone having a good few days before Christmas? Or what ever holiday you all celebrate around this time. I feel bad because I've been slacking off on writing for the past few days since I've been home. Oh, well. When push comes to shove, I'll get it in gear. It's no big deal. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy over the holidays!**

* * *

A few moments passed as Ash lay awake in his room. Suddenly yet slowly, the door opened and May stepped in, her legs bare and her large, yellow shirt covering her torso entirely down to midway down her thighs. "I see you've made yourself comfortable, Ash," May smiled to him as she stepped closer and kneeled down next to her sleeping bag.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Ash grinned back. "Um," he began to ask since he noticed, "Where did you put the clothes you were wearing?"

"I left 'em in the laundry hamper in the hall, so Mimey could wash 'em for me," she laughed as she slipped into her own sleeping bag. "Why? Are you nervous that I might run out of clothes on our trip and have to go naked or something?" she teased him, nudging his shoulder.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about the trip," Ash said while blushing.

"What about it?" May propped herself up on her elbows to listen to what the boy had to say.

"I-I guess I'm worried that something bad is gonna happen between us while we're there, May," he confessed. "I'm afraid that I'll do something stupid, and then you'll hate me for it."

"Ash, I could never hate you," May sat up further, still enshrouded in her sleeping bag. "I love you, silly. One goof-up won't change that."

"You say that now," Ash said, sitting up and turning to her, also keeping his sleeping bag over him, "but what if it's a really big screw up?"

"Ash, you're worrying over nothing," she told him. "We'll work through any problems we have together, I just know it. After all, isn't that how we got as far as we have today? We relied on each other for strength and support, and just between the two of us we have them in spades. That's not counting Max, Brock, Misty, or any of our other friends."

"…do you promise?" Ash looked into her eyes. "Do you promise that whatever comes our way, even if I mess up really bad, that you'll never wanna leave me."

May moved her face closer to Ash's. "Of course, Ash," she whispered, "just as long you promise me the same."

Ash felt himself flushing bright red. "I-okay, sure," he gulped.

May moved her face in closer, pressing her lips against Ash's for a moment. Each of their lips parted and they shared their breath for a moment. May broke the kiss and slid back down into her sleeping bag.

"What was that for?" Ash asked after the rush he received from the kiss had passed.

"I was sealing our promise with a kiss," May giggled. "I thought it'd be okay."

"Alright, thanks May," he had a small smile on his face. Ash slipped back down into his sleeping bag as he heard the top of May's sleeping bag unzip. May worked the zipper to give her arms the ability to move. Scooting closer to Ash, she slipped one of her arms under his neck and the other over his chest. Her arms met when the one over the chest grabbed the one that went under the neck by the wrist.

May rested her head on Ash's shoulder. "G'night, Ash," she whispered to him.

Ash, not wanting to move and disturb his beloved's sleep, only whispered "Good night, May," in return.

* * *

The morning sun shone into the window of Ash's room as the Dodrio down the road called for the sunrise. Pikachu's sensitive ears picked up the sound and roused him from his sleep. Peeking over the edge of the bed, he spied Ash and May, still asleep, with the girl wrapping her arms around him. Pikachu smiled at the cute scene and crawled down the bed. He nuzzled his cheek against Ash's and planted a small kiss into May's hair before slipping quietly out of the door.

Pikachu sniffed the air, catching a whiff of Delia preparing breakfast. He scuttled down the stairs quickly, wanting to secure his place for the meal.

As the sun glided into May's eyes, she turned onto her belly, her head still facing Ash with her eyes clinched shut to block out the sunlight. Ash himself slowly opened his eyes to the sunlight when it came to him. He felt warm and comfortable in his sleeping bag, even though he didn't get to sleep in his soft bed.

He looked over and saw May's quietly dozing, her arms still wrapped around him. He didn't yet quiet understand why he liked it when May held onto him. In his mind, it made him feel like a big rock. Sturdy, powerful, and built to last. When May relied on him, he felt so much stronger than usual.

He smiled at the girl next to him. "Hey, May," he whispered. "I think it's time to wake up…"

May opened her mouth wide and let out a yawn into Ash's face. "What time is it, honey?" she asked him.

"Well, 'sweetie'," Ash replied in a slightly sarcastic tone, "I'll check."

He sat up and looked to the small clock he had set up by his pillow. The first time he saw it, it blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. Seeing that the time was accurate, he let out a scream.

May jumped up and stood behind Ash. "W-what is it, Ash?" she panicked.

"It's already nine o'clock! We only have an hour before the ferry arrives!" he shouted.

May leapt up in response. "We haven't eaten yet, we're not dressed! We've gotta get ready quick!"

Ash shot into action. He grabbed a change of his clothes from his closet and shoved May out of the room with her pack. The girl darted into the restroom across the hall to get dressed herself.

Clothed in one of the outfits his mother got him for his travels in the Hoenn Region, he began placing more changes of clean clothes in his pack. Grabbing his belongings, he darted down the stairs and stood in the kitchen doorway as his mother prepared breakfast at her own pace.

"Mom! What are you waiting for?" Ash asked, running in place.

"It won't be ready until it's ready, honey," Delia smiled to her son. "It won't be too much longer; I know you have to get going soon. Just go watch some television or something and just try to relax."

Grunting, Ash returned to the living room to find Pikachu flipping through channels, looking for something to watch. Ash sat next to his Pokémon, also waiting for something to catch his eye.

May bolted down the stairs in one of the outfits she received from Raine, the shopkeeper they stayed with in Cerulean City. She made sure the bandana she received from Ash was on straight as she approached the couch to see her boyfriend and his partner just sitting there.

"What are you doing?" May flailed her arms. "We need to eat so we can leave!"

"We can't eat if the foods not ready yet," Ash said plainly, not taking his eyes off the images from the box.

May groaned. "Why now? We're gonna be late."

"Just sit down and relax," Ash offered her a seat next to him. "Let's watch some TV while we wait for the food to get done."

"Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted and pointed to the screen.

Ash and May looked away from each other and at the screen.

"It has been two days since the Frontier Brain of the Battle Dome, Dome Ace Tucker, has vanished without a trace," the newscaster stated. After moving her papers and puffing her blonde hair, she continued. "Police are baffled as to what could have happened. Scott, the man who established the Battle Frontier was unavailable to comment." Pictures of Tucker appeared on the television set as the woman continued. The flamboyant man stood facing an opponent on the screen. Although with his odd hairstyle and purple fairy costume, he looked quite silly, Ash remembered vividly the battle he had gotten from him for the Tactics Symbol. He was a master of showmanship and battle finesse. "Reports are coming in, saying that Tucker is just the first to have vanish in such a short time. Greta, who teaches her students in the Battle Arena, has also been reported missing."

"The Frontier Brains are going missing?" May asked no one.

"That's weird," Ash thought out loud, "we just saw Scott yesterday. Why didn't he tell us about this?"

"Pika…" Pikachu added, deep in thought.

"Breakfast is ready!" Delia called in from the kitchen.

"Next time we see him, we'll have to ask, won't we?" May said as they entered the kitchen to hastily devour their meal.

Ash couldn't give a response as his mouth was already full of waffle. May giggled and began to eat as well.

* * *

After eating as quickly as they could, Ash and May bade his mother farewell, dashing out the door with only fifteen minutes until the ferry was to depart. Pikachu leapt to his partner's shoulder as they ran down the road to the port. He remembered his trip to the Orange Islands, and wondered how this trip would differ. _Well, obviously May's with me this time_, he told himself, _and I won't have Lapras to carry me around._

May on the other hand, was thinking about the tropical climate, and how wonderful it would be to spend some time alone with Ash on the beach. _This is just the excuse I needed to get a new bathing suit_, she giggled to herself. _As green seems to be becoming my color, maybe I'll get something like that?_ She laughed to herself, _Of course I'm gonna have to wait for Ash's battle with that new Brain to be over, and my Contest of course._ Her thoughts drifted to what they had heard about the Frontier Brains disappearing. _I hope they're all alright. I wonder why Scott didn't tell us anything._

They arrived at the port, but didn't take the time to absorb the location due to their tardiness. The couple dashed into the ticket office, ready to present their tickets to the man in the booth.

"Whu... what time is it?" Ash panted as he and May came to a stop before the man sitting in his box. May looked up. He was a clean-cut man with black hair, wearing a blue suit with a red tie. A pin with the insignia of the port was pinned to his suit coat.

"It's 10:32, why?" The man blinked implicitly.

Despair appeared on Ash's face. "10:32? We missed the ferry…"

"What do you mean?" The man had a look of confusion on his face.

"The tickets say 10:30 on them," May slid the tickets into the booth for the man to see.

"Oh, you misunderstand," he let out a chuckle. "That's the amount of rides these tickets are good for. You see, the first number is the number of times these have been used, and the second is the number of total rides it can be used."

"Then we can still use a ferry?" Ash asked back, cheering up.

"But don't they have a schedule?" May blinked, not believing the man for a moment.

"Let me explain," the man cleared his throat. "Our ferry system uses a type of ship called the Seagallop. These ships move a high speeds through water, allowing travelers and tourists to quickly hop from one island to another. It takes only a few minutes to get from Kanto to the Sevii Islands this way, where it would take at least a day to get there with a regular ship. There are ten Seagallop ferries running at any particular time. They're always going between the islands and ports. Even if there isn't one in now, in a few moments, there could be. So keeping people on a schedule when we don't even use one would be silly. It's all about supply and demand. If there are more people who want to go to a particular place than another group, then the larger group would go first, of course. But the next ferry wouldn't be far behind."

"That sounds really cool," Ash said to the helpful man. "Can we take a ferry to Five Island?"

The man put on a disappointed look. "Actually, from here you can only go to Olivine City, Vermillion City, Cinnabar Island, One Island, or Lilycove City. From One Island, you'd be able to transfer to the rest of the Sevii Islands."

"Alright," Ash's bright demeanor faded slightly. "We'll go to One Island, then."

"Alright," he said as he ran their tickets through a machine. He handed them back to them and motioned for them to go through the gate. "Have fun on One Island!"

Ash and May stepped out into the port as one of the large, swift moving ships pulled in. A sailor asked the couple of their destination, to which May responded, "One Island, please." Ash was too busy wondering how the number on the ticket was changed from 10:30 to 11:30. May looked into the waters of the, noticing that they were a dark green color: the waters must be polluted due to the frequent traffic. After walking up the plank to board the ship, May went ahead stepped into the main cabin on the ship. Ash loitered and had to be pushed along, causing him to grumble at the sailors who took them along. The rather small sailor told the boy that it was for his own safety: anyone on the outside of the ship would be launched off at a high speed.

A buff, tattooed sailor, wearing the white suit that one attributes to sailors came into the room. "A'ight, can e'ry one 'ere me? Dis ship is gonna plow to da waddas and take ya ta One Isle. Can e'ry one take a seat, and buckle up. Fer yer own safety, o' course."

As Ash and May sat between two other people on the large, red cushioned benches on the walls around the room, May giggled, saying "That guy talks a lot like Team Rocket's Meowth."

On the top of the ship, Meowth, his ear pressed against the roof, started to frown. "Hey! I don't sound like some kinda pirate!" he growled.

"Shh…" warned Jessie, "keep your voice down, Meowth."

"If we get discovered, we won't be able to chase the twerps and get Pikachu," James added.

"You all don't tink I talk weird, do ya?" Meowth turned around, his eyes tearful.

Jessie and James looked at each other, unsure how to answer without hurting his feelings.

Inside the ship, the sailors made sure everyone was secured tightly. As the man approached Ash, he looked warily at Pikachu, who currently sat on his shoulder. "Ya got a Pokéball fer yer mate?" he pointed at Pikachu.

"I do, but Pikachu doesn't like to go inside them," Ash smiled, stating the automated fact, hoping that the sailor would drop the subject.

"It's mighty unsafe fer a Pokémon to be outside its Pokéball while we move," he warned.

"I'm not going to put Pikachu in there, alright?" Ash tried to stand up to the man, not remembering that he was buckled into the seat. He jerked up, but the seat belt kept him down. Ash growled irritably at the man for wanting to put Pikachu in there.

"Ash, calm down," May put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm not gonna let them do anything to Pikachu!" he turned to her, his voice sharper than intended. Realizing his social folly, he immediately quieted down and shrunk his neck back. "May, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that…"

May just smiled warmly. "I know you didn't Ash." She untied her bandana and held it between Ash and she. "Pikachu, come here," she motioned down. Pikachu climbed off of Ash's shoulder and sat between them. May tied her bandana around Pikachu and the ends of her and Ash's seatbelts, securing the Pokémon in an uncomfortable, but acceptable position.

The sailor grunted, but accepted the position. "Make sure yer Pokémon doesn't move around, a'ight, mate?" he said, walking away.

"The nerve of that jerk…" Ash growled under his breath, shaking his fist.

"Why don't we just enjoy the ride, okay, Ash?" May massaged the shoulder she placed her hand on before.

Ash calmed down. "You're right, May. I'm sorry I got a bit out of control, there."

"You're apologizing for too much," May giggled, nudging him.

"You're right, sorry," Ash apologized. After a moment, Ash, May and Pikachu all burst into laughter.

As the rest of the passengers looked on with concerned expressions at the children in their midst, the lead sailor who spoke with Ash and May stepped upstairs to the navigator's room. A steady, calm, masculine voice came over the intercom. "This is your captain speaking. Welcome to Seagallop Ferry Number 7. We hope you enjoy your ride to One Island. We will be moving shortly, so please stay still while the boat is in motion." With that, the intercom shut off, and the boat began to rumble. Ash took May's hand in his own, and they held their them behind Pikachu, who rested his head on their clasped hands.

The boat jolted forward, causing May to let out a short scream as the ship speed of the ship increased, and then leveled off at a high speed. On top of the ship, the Rockets clung as tightly as they could to the roof. Meowth dug his claws in as deeply as he could into the steel roof, with Jessie and James each grabbing onto one of his large feet. "Let's try to climb down to da sides," Meowth shouted. The other Rockets nodded as well as they could at the high speed. Slowly, Meowth inched backwards, with Jessie and James also moving in that direction.

Jessie reached back with her foot. "Hey, I feel the edge!"

James double checked for her. "She's right! Not much further, Meowth!"

"Great," Meowth grinned against the wind, "I'm gonna need a pedicure afta dis."

The trio had a small laugh as they inched back further along. Jessie reached back with her leg, her knee slipping off the top of the ship. Loosing her balance, her grip slipped from Meowth's foot. The momentum of the ship threatened to throw her from the top. Jessie screamed as she felt herself slipping from away into the air behind the speeding ferry.

Suddenly, she felt someone's arm wrap around her's.

"Feffie,' James tried to speak with a mouth full of Meowth's tail, "cwim dowm an geh vevvy fo fel Meowph an I dowm."

Distracted by his green eyes for only a moment, she nodded and began climbing down behind the railing, still holding on to James' arm. After securing herself behind the ship (with no wind tossing her off), Jessie grabbed James by his boot and began to pull him down. He took Meowth down by the tail, still secured in his mouth.

Once the Rockets had a chance to catch their breath, the all embraced each other. "We're alive!" they cheered.

"Next time," Meowth added, "we're just gonna go by balloon. I don't care how long it takes."

"Hey Ash," May broke their current conversation, "did you hear something?"

Ash listened for a moment. "I thought I heard Team Rocket… but it couldn't be, could it?"

Pikachu let out a sigh, not wanting to be put in a net again.

"If they were here, I'm sure they would have tried to grab Pikachu," May laughed. "We're probably just so used to them showing up that we're hearing things."

"That's true," Ash laughed, with Pikachu snickering as well.

"Hey, Ash," May looked over to him, "I know you want to get to the Battle Fortress as soon as possible, but do you think we could spend some time on One Island before we go?"

"Why not?" he smiled back at her. "After all, exploring new places is half the fun of traveling, right?"

"Pika, pika," Pikachu grinned.

May turned her head to the front and squinted to see out the far away window. "Ash, look at that!" she pointed to a small island quickly heading their way. "That must be One Island!"

Ash squinted as well. "Look at that big mountain!" he shouted in excitement. "I wonder what kind of stuff is there!"

"Well, there's only one way to find out, right?" May grinned.

"Right," Ash nodded. "We'll explore 'em. Together."

"I like the way you think," May laughed, running her hand through Ash's messy hair, causing the boy to blush.

"And besides," Ash added, "there's that contest on one of the islands, right?"

"That's right," May nodded. "We'll have to get to Four Island in enough time to register for it."

"Pipikachu!" Pikachu raised his fist into the air cutely, as if agreeing with Ash and May.

The couple laughed and rubbed behind Pikachu's ears as the ship pulled into port at One Island.

* * *

**I feel like I can be mean some times... you all want the story to continue, and all I seem to do is stall. Oh, well. I like it this way.**

**Review at your leisure.**


	6. Some like it Hot

**I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate this time of the year. I've been occupied with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorny and Pokémon Ranger this week. Now if PUSA would just give us the password for the Manaphy Mission...  
**

**In anycase, here's Chapter 6. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ash and May stepped off the boat into the bright sunshine. May held up her hand as to shield her eyes from the intensity._ Perfect_, she thought. _This is the best weather for Ash and I to have a little alone time in._

Ash, however, looked confidently at his partner. "Pikachu, are you ready to win at the Battle Fortress?"

"Pi pikachu!" he affirmed his confidence.

May sighed, hoping that Ash would want to wait before going to the Fortress so she and he could spend some time together in One Island.

After the couple plus Pikachu stepped through the turnstiles, they began to take in the tropical climate. "It's been a long time since we've been on an island, huh?" May nudged Ash's side.

"Yeah, the sunlight feels great," Ash grinned.

"Well, maybe we should just relax her for a day or so," May twiddled her index fingers around each other. "I'm sure we can have lots of fun on this island."

Ash was less convinced. "Well, I'd rather make sure we keep exploring. Let's search the island a bit further before we make any big plans."

"Alright," May conceded. She was sure that he would be convinced about the island by exploring it, anyway.

The streets were lined with stores, each trying to sell various beach gear; surf boards, jet skis, and bathing suits were all shown off in an attempt to attract buyers. In particular, one pink bikini caught May's eye as she and Ash walked by. The girl paused a moment, halting her small talk with the trainer, to gaze at the clothing. She took in the fabric with her eyes, noting closely at how it hugged the manikin's body. The faceless doll stood in a way to allure men, causing women to desire such a swimsuit, so they could attract men as well.

"May, what are you looking at?" Ash surprised her by stepping up behind her.

"Oh!" she jumped. "I-uh, was just thinking that I need a new swimsuit," she told him. That had been part of her plan when she decided to come to the island. She looked up at the pink bikini again. Closing her eyes to picture herself in it, her smile turned into a frown. In her old, red bandana, the pink bikini would have suited her perfectly. It would have complimented her color choices exactly, making her look even more adorable (and irresistible to Ash, she hoped). However, with her green bandana, the one Ash got for her, the pink clashed very loudly. She decided that she would require a subdued green swimsuit, instead. Not seeing one in the window, she turned to Ash, "That one isn't for me, though. I don't see any others, so lets head on further."

Ash cracked a grin. "Alright, let's go further up the road. We need to find the Pokémon Center anyway."

Ash and May continued up the road. At first, Ash was missing his hat, as it would have covered his eyes from the bright sun as they walked along the concrete sidewalks in the big city. However, his eyes had adjusted to the bright light, and now he was thankful that it wasn't covering his head, cooking his brain in the heat. Ash stopped for a moment, and Pikachu leapt onto May's shoulder for a moment. Ash took off the sweatshirt that was smothering him at this point, and placed it into his pack. Sliding the pack back on, and welcoming Pikachu back on his shoulder, he shot a smile at May, who blushed and smiled back at him.

As they continued up the road, Ash and May noticed that most of the pedestrian traffic was headed back in the direction they came from. "Must be going to the beach," Ash noted out loud. Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"I'd like to spend some time at the beach before we go," May said aside from her boyfriend and his Pokémon, making sure he could hear.

Ash sighed. "I thought that we would spend time in the mountains here and spend time on the beaches on Seven Island," Ash reminded May of what Scott told them.

"Oh yeah!" May jumped up. "It's supposed to be a wonderful resort! I can't wait to get there!"

Ash laughed. "That's better. Let's spend some time hiking in the mountains on One Island before we go to the next one."

May agreed, smiling. She gave him a short hug and they continued up the road. Pikachu let out a sigh and began to pant in the hot sun. "I think we all need something to help us cool off, huh?" Ash said to both Pikachu and May. They nodded, and looked up the road to an ice cream stall on the road side. Quickly stepping up, the hungry couple asked for three double-scooped ice cream cones. Ash handed over the money as Pikachu, who had stepped off of Ash's shoulder to free his hands, and May got a chance to start licking from their cones. Ash looked at the ice cream for a moment, noting that they only had vanilla ice cream. He shrugged, and began licking his cone as well. The three stepped out from under the overhang and thanked the salesman.

May linked hers and Ash's arms together with her free arm. _This is nice,_ she thought. _It's not the beach, but it's nice to spend time, just me and Ash. I love times like these, when I can have him all to myself. He looks really hot right now, too._ May giggled to herself over her pun.

"Hey, May, look!" Ash pointed ahead with the tip of his ice cream, not breaking May's link. "There's the Pokémon Center!"

"Great," May was relieved. "Now we don't have to spend any more time out here in the blazing sun…"

"Oh?" Ash looked over to her from the corner of his eye. "I thought you liked the weather."

"I do," May responded. "But you can't get any cool ocean breezes in the middle of a stuffy city."

They stepped into the Pokémon Center and took a look around. To Ash's right, there was a large machine in the lobby of the center. The lights on the machine were off, but a man's sneakers were visible from under the machine, working on it like a mechanic on a car. To the left of this machine were the phones, and of course, Nurse Joy, sitting faithfully behind her counter.

"Why, hello there," Joy bowed her head, "and welcome to our Pokémon Center. How can I help you?"

Ash and May placed all of their Pokéballs on the counter. Pikachu leapt up there, as well. "I think our Pokémon are a bit overheated," May smiled, rubbing behind Pikachu's sweaty ears. "Could you help them cool down?"

"Why certainly," the nurse gave the children a comforting grin. She took the Pokéballs and placed them on two trays before carrying them into the back room.

Ash's attention was caught by the machine the man was working on in the front of the center. He walked over and began talking to the man.

"Hello, sir?" Ash asked, "What are you doing?"

"Don't call me sir, please," a boy not much older than Ash rolled out from under the machine on his dolly. He wore large, round glasses on his face, his eyes showing behind the lenses. His blonde hair was combed over to the side, yet there were no oil stains on him like Ash would attribute to a regular mechanic. His clothes were also much more white collar than the jeans and shirt Ash often saw mechanics wearing. "As I was saying, don't call me sir. I'm barely older than you, I bet."

"Wow, I thought you'd be an older guy," Ash blinked. "My name's Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. What's yours?"

"I'm Celio," The man bowed his head, "and I'm actually a local from One Island."

"That's cool," Ash turned his attention to the large device. "Celio, what's this supposed to be?"

"Let me explain," Celio started, "do you know about transferring Pokémon between locations?"

May stepped up and around Ash to look at Celio. "Like when Professor Oak transfers Pokémon to Ash, right?"

Celio's eyes widened at May's appearance. Ash could tell that he was eyeing her in a way he himself didn't like. "Celio," Ash coughed, "this is my girlfriend, May. She's from Petalburg City."

Celio's eyes dimmed. "Oh… okay…" he sighed. "Anyway, this is a Network Machine. It enables Pokémon to be transferred over long distances."

"But Ash got some of his Pokémon transferred to him from far away before," May spoke up, tilting her head curiously, "so why didn't we need to use a Network Machine back in Hoenn?"

"You misunderstand the purpose of a Network Machine, miss," Celio blushed and laughed. "Hoenn, Kanto, and Johto all have Network Machines. These send Pokémon very quickly between regions. Let me give you an example. Let's say that Ash wants to get a Pokémon from Professor Oak's lab to, say, your home town, Petalburg City in Hoenn. That's in Hoenn, correct?" he looked into her eyes.

May looked to the side, away from Celio. "Yeah, it's in Hoenn." Ash gritted his teeth quietly, not wanting to harm his new acquaintance.

Celio cleared his throat. "Well, the Pokéball would be transformed into energy, then sent through the transfer system to the Pokémon Center, normally. However, because each Center Network is only connected within a region, you can't connect to Hoenn from a center in Kanto. That's where the Network Machine comes in. All of the Network Machines are connected to each other, and can send Pokémon at a high speed between regions. So when Oak sent Ash's Pokémon through the system, the Pokémon was sent though through Kanto's Network Machine to Hoenn's Network Machine, where it was transported to the correct Pokémon Center."

"I think I understand now," May rubbed her chin with her hand. "So the Sevii Islands don't have a Network Machine yet?" she asked.

"No, ma'am," he responded. "I'm setting up this one here, and I'm almost done. Then you'll be able to get Pokémon from Kanto and Hoenn sent here."

"That means that until then, we can't change our Pokémon," Ash thought our loud.

"Is there any way we can help, Celio?" May asked him, causing him to blush. Ash responded to the blush with a hint of anger.

"Y-yeah," he gulped. "A short distance from here, further toward the center of the island, there's a volcano called Mount Ember. If you wouldn't mind, could you go there and get something for me?"

"What is it?" Ash blinked, interested on being put on a mission.

"Mount Ember is widely known for being a place were rubies can be found underground. In order to finish my machine, I need a large ruby. I spoke with the quarry master earlier this week, and he called yesterday and told me that he found a ruby large enough that could be used for my machine. I've been working on the machine here, and it still needs a bit of tuning, so could you two go get my ruby for me?"

"Sure," Ash grinned, "that sounds fun. Whaddya say, May?"

"Alright," May smiled, "at least it gets us out of the city for a bit."

"That reminds me!" Celio landed his fist into his open palm. "There's a hot spring on the way there, so you two can visit it on your way to and from the mountain, if you want. It's just along the path between here and there."

"Wow, thanks, Celio," Ash smiled. "Hot springs feel great, regardless of the weather outside!"

"I agree with you there, Ash!" May beamed. A familiar jingle rang through the center. "Oh, that means our Pokémon are feeling better. Let's pick 'em up and then we can get on the road!"

"Heh, until recently, you wanted to go to the beach," Ash chuckled.

* * *

After they collected their Pokémon, Ash, May and Pikachu left the center and the town to begin heading down a path known locally as Kindle Road. The path ran away from the city towards the large mountain that Ash and May saw from the Seagallop earlier that day. The sun was still beating down overhead, but the open fields allowed for a cooling breeze to blow through the air, keeping the group comfortable. Tall grass and very few trees line the path the trainers took towards their destination. 

"That must be the Mt. Ember that Celio was tellin' us about," Ash pointed towards the mountain in the distance.

May shielded her eyes from the sun and squinted in the direction of the mountain. "Is that ash falling from it?"

Ash did a double take and looked back at it as well. "I guess it is. He did say it's a volcano. I guess it's still active."

"Active?" May gulped. "I don't wanna go and get melted by lava!" she began to panic.

"Calm down, May," Ash laughed as he started walking again. "Just because it's active doesn't mean it's just gonna erupt out of the blue. There'll be a shaking first, and other stuff."

"I'm still nervous, though," May replied, hugging Ash's arm tightly. "This could be really dangerous."

"I think I know what we could do to calm your nerves," Ash grinned, looking ahead.

"What?" May asked, also looking ahead. A sign declaring the entrance to the hot springs Celio also told them about. "Yeah!" May declared, leaping into the air, "we found the hot spring! Lets stop here and take a break, Ash!" She grabbed her boyfriend by the arm and lead him into the cave.

At first, Ash was suspicious of a cave housing a hot spring just being along the path, but as he stepped inside, his fears were alleviated. Many elderly people with balding and grey heads sat in the springs, relaxing. A few muscular men and women sat among them, discussing martial arts. The cave had interior lighting, making it bright enough to walk around in. The rocks were the kind of earthy brown color one would expect in a cave. Ash and May began looking for a changing room, and finally found one in the back of the cave. More accurately, it was a portable toilet, but it would have to be used as a changing room in this case. It stood at less than half of double Ash's height, and was a pale blueish green color. Sighing, Ash was the first to enter. He left Pikachu outside with May so that it wouldn't be as tight in the small chamber. Ash stripped down and pulled his red swimming trunks out of his pack and pulled them up his body. Ash opened the door and let May inside as he stepped out. Pikachu had already found a hot spring to swim in as he looked about. Ash folded his regular clothes and placed them into his pack. He decided to wait for May nearby while she changed. He looked around for a hot spring that wasn't full of old people. He saw one to the far side of the cave. It also looked large enough for all of their Pokémon to join them (not counting Ash's Muk, who wouldn't want to find himself diluted in the water, nor would everyone else enjoy his stench).

A moment later, and May stepped out of the 'changing room', dressed in her pink bikini with white frills. Ash had seen it on other occasions, such as when they found the hot springs with Lucario, and their trip under the sea with Manaphy.

"How so I look?" May posed for him, placing one hand behind her head and another on her hip.

Ash blushed. "Y-you look great," he smiled, looking away from her. "I saw a spring over on the side of the cave that'd be big enough for us and our Pokémon. Why don't we head over to that one?"

"Sure," May smiled, following Ash to the area he pointed out. May reached into her pack and pulled out her Pokéballs, giving them a gentle toss into the air. The balls snapped open, allowing Eevee, Skitty, Munchlax, and Blaziken to leap into the water. Beautifly, however, decided to rest on May's bare head, instead.

Ash pulled out six Pokéballs and tossed them into the air. Five opened, setting Sceptile, Totodile, Muk, Cyndaquil and Aipom free. The sixth, however, fell to the ground, bouncing slightly.

May picked it up. "What's wrong with this Pokéball, Ash?" she raised her eyebrow.

Ash snatched it out of her hand. "Oh, that's-uh, Pikachu's Pokéball," he told her. "I musta grabbed it by accident."

May looked over to Pikachu, who was warning Muk not to get into the hot spring. "I always wondered where you kept Pikachu's Pokéball. I guess you have to keep it on you somewhere, huh?"

Ash nodded. "Ever since we teamed up, Pikachu wouldn't go back inside. In order for Pikachu to be counted among my team of six Pokémon, I have to have his Pokéball somewhere. I just never use it."

May smiled as Pikachu ran to their feet. "Well, that's good. I'm sure Pikachu is happier outside, anyway." She then bent down and picked up the Pokémon. "Let's relax, Ash. We can talk while we soak."

Ash and May stepped down into the water. Ash yelped for only a moment at the temperature, while May just let herself slip in. "I always enjoy hot showers, so this isn't really a big change for me," she laughed.

Ash took in a slow breath through his clenched teeth as he lowered himself into the water. "I like a lukewarm shower, not one that'll boil your skin off."

As Pikachu broke away from May to swim among the other Pokémon, Beautifly took off from May's head to talk with Muk at the side of the spring to keep him company. The Sludge Pokémon was grateful, and gave the Bug-Flying type a large, messy hug. Beautifly countered by lifting Muk off her with Psychic power, and telling him about personal space.

Sceptile sat across the pool from Blaziken. Both fully evolved Pokémon glared at each other, making this relaxation into a contest. Sceptile and Blaziken began to lower themselves further and further into the hot water, testing their tolerance for the hot water. Sceptile lower his head to the water, but as his chin touched it, he found himself leaping up, much to his opponent's mirth.

May decided to offer commentary. "Blaziken's a Fire-type, so she's gonna have more heat resistance than you, Sceptile."

Sceptile growled at May and turned his furious gaze to Blaziken.

"No, Sceptile," Ash called, May holding onto his arm, "we're here to relax. If you want to train, we'll do it later."

Blaziken shot Sceptile a look of 'serves you right.' Sceptile growled and turned away form her.

Pikachu sighed, and returned to floating amongst Ash and May's other Pokémon. Skitty had made herself comfortable on Munchlax's belly as the Big Eater floated lazily in the spring. Eevee was easily keeping her head above the water, so Pikachu decided to float closer to her. Aipom, however, wanted to be the center of attention, so she swam up to Pikachu and yanked his tail under the water with her short arms. Pikachu, in a knee-jerk reaction, let a short electric shock into the water. Fortunately for Ash, May, and the rest of the Pokémon, the electricity had dispersed and found a ground before reaching them. Unfortunately for Aipom, who was using her tail to keep her from sinking in the water, that ground was through her tail.

Ash and May had a short laugh at the antics of their Pokémon.

"Hey, Ash?" May tugged on his arm.

"Hm?" Ash looked over to her. "What is it, May?"

"I'm glad we could come here," she said.

"I am, too," Ash smiled back at her. "It's really relaxing."

"No, I don't mean to the hot spring," she replied. "Well, the hot spring is good, too, but that's not the whole thing."

"What is it, then?" Ash turned to her.

"I'm glad we were able to come to the Sevii Islands, just the two of us. No Max, no Brock, no parents, and no Team Rocket," May explained. "We have time to explore our relationship without getting interrupted. And I want to spend every second that we're here doing stuff we can enjoy together."

"Well, we do have the Contest and my battle against the Brain of the Battle Fortress," Ash reminded her.

"Yeah, and you'll be cheering for me while I'm in the Contest, and I'll be cheering for you in the Frontier Battle," May said to him. "We'll both enjoy it, just different parts."

"So, we need to keep doing things we both enjoy, huh?" Ash smirked.

May was taken back. "Ash? What do you mean by that?"

Her question was answered as an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her lips into a kiss. May was surprised at first, but wrapped her arms around his neck. Ash wrapped his other arm around her back and began to kiss her more fervently. May let her eyes close as she took in the experience. She felt Ash breathing into her slightly parted lips, and her tongue took the initiative to begin exploring his mouth. She rolled her tongue against the top of his mouth as his tongue ran up and down hers. Taking a moment for them both to catch her breath, she allowed Ash's tongue to follow hers back into her own mouth, where he returned the favor by rolling his tongue against the roof of her mouth. May took in a short, quick gasp of air before closing her lips, forcing Ash to pull out from behind her puckered lips.

"Wow, Ash," May licked her lips, "if that was just a sample of the things we're going to do on this trip, I think I'm going to really enjoy the Sevii Islands."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, everyone. I'll see you next week!**


	7. Out of the frying pan

**Sorry about the late update. I overslept, and had to rush to work really quick. I just got home, recently. Well, enjoy the seventh chapter!**

* * *

After spending a while longer relaxing in the hot spring, Ash and May gathered their Pokémon and began heading down the road to Mt. Ember.

"I wonder how large a ruby Celio needs." May thought out loud. "I'd love a big piece of jewelry!"

"Remember, May," Ash said to her, "we're getting this for Celio's sake, not so you can have a necklace."

"Pikapika," his partner added.

"I know, but I can still want one, right?" May teased. "Besides, an emerald necklace would probably suit me more anyway."

Recharged from the relaxing dip in the hot spring, the couple made good time heading to the volcano. Ash smiled, hoping May wouldn't think about how the volcano was active.

The afternoon sun shone on the trees. Ash was amazed at how cool it seemed after being in the hot springs for only an hour or two. "Maybe everyone comes here in the early morning so they don't notice how hot it gets during the day," he joked to May, who stifled a giggle.

The couple looked up to see the volcano looming over head. May began to quiver as smoke and ash quietly puffed out of crater. "Ash, are you sure this is gonna be safe?" She asked, placing her hands on one of his arms.

"Sure it is, May," Ash grinned. "Now we just have to find the quarry master and ask him where the ruby is."

As if on cue, three people scuttled out from behind the trees.

"Greetings young man," one of the taller two smiled, rubbing his hands together. The man had short, blue hair and a grey moustache. He wore sunglasses, a blue jumpsuit, and a yellow construction hat. "And head-handkerchief girl." The other two workers nodded and were dressed in the same way.

"Who are you guys?" Ash raised one of his eyebrows.

The trio surrounded Ash and May and began pushing them ahead. The smallest one, who only came up to May's knees, said "Don't you love boids worry 'bout nothin'."

The third man, who had an odd body shape nodded in agreement. "We're here to help you."

"So you're going to take us to the ruby?" May asked, trying to look over her shoulder.

"Sure, sure," the third man responded, "but first we have a rodent problem."

"What?" Ash turned around. The first man, who was pushing Ash, grabbed Pikachu off of his shoulder. Pikachu was stuffed into an orange container with a small window before Ash's eyes. The trio shoved Ash and May forward, causing them to fall into a concealed pitfall.

"Augh," Ash called out, "I should have figured it out by now!"

"You should have," the third man smiled, "but you didn't prepare for trouble."

"Go back to school with you and your double," the first man added.

"Let's not jinx it," the smallest man grinned. At that moment, all three of them tossed off their disguises, revealing themselves to be James, Meowth, and Jessie.

"Team Rocket!" May called out. "Give back Pikachu!"

"Like we're gonna take orders from a twerp," Jessie laughed, fixing her hair that had been concealed under her hard hat.

"And just for good measure," James walked over to the hole. He dropped a grate over it, barring Ash and May inside. "That should keep you twerps trapped."

"Pika-chu!" Pikachu shouted, launching a volley of electric power inside his cage.

"C'mon Pikachu," Meowth laughed. "You know you're trapped in dere. And none of yer Electric attacks can get ya out!"

"We have to do something, May," Ash gritted his teeth at the grate that held them in the pit. "We can't let 'em get away with Pikachu."

"I think I have an idea," May said, reaching for a Pokéball. "Skitty, take the stage!" she shouted as she tossed the Pokéball containing her kitten Pokémon.

The ball snapped open and May's pink Normal-type appeared. "Nyaa!" she called out after being set free.

"Skitty, freeze those bars with your Blizzard!" May shouted, pointing to the bars.

Skitty opened her mouth and took in a deep breath. She shouted a huge "Nyaa!" at the very moment a fierce wind full of whirling snow came from her mouth. The chilling blast shot through the bars, freezing them and frosting them over.

"Alright, I get it," Ash grinned, reaching for a Pokéball. "Cyndaquil, I choose you!" In a flash, Ash's Johto Fire-type came out and flared up his back. "Use Flamethrower to break the bars!" Cyndaquil opened his mouth and let spray a hot stream of fire. As the fire flowed around the bars, the contracting and expanding metal began to crack and, finally, snapped apart, freeing the couple.

"Team Rocket!" The trio turned around for sneaking off to see Ash and May ready to combat them. "Give us back our Pikachu!"

"I knew I should have put a lid on them, instead," James shuddered.

"I'll put a lid on you if they get Pikachu back," Jessie shot back at him.

"Why don't ya both put a lid on it," Meowth turned around, holding Pikachu's prison, "and get on twoip patrol."

"Alright," Jessie tossed a Pokéball at the twerps. "Go, Dustox!"

"Go, Cacnea!" James lobbed his in as well.

From the first of the two Pokéballs came a purple moth with green wings. Yellow, compound eyes glared at Cyndaquil and Skitty as the two smaller Pokémon stepped up. She flexed her four, small red arms as she approached her foes.

Next to her came a round, green Pokémon. Her arms were lined with thorns that led up to her small body. A yellow flower bloomed on her head over her bright eyes. She turned around and leapt onto James' neck, causing the Rocket Trainer to yelp in pain as he pulled her off and sent her into battle.

"Cyndaquil, Flamethrower!" Ash called.

"Skitty, use Blizzard!" May shouted.

"Cacnea, use Needle Arm!" James gave to order.

"Dustox, use Psybeam!" Jessie shouted.

As Cyndaquil and Skitty launched their high powered attacks, Cacnea's arms began to glow. She leapt at Skitty, but was caught in the Kitten Pokémon's powerful Ice-type strike. Frozen solid, the Grass-type Cacnea flew backwards into Dustox's Psybeam. The ice shielded Cacnea from the ray, but it also caused her to fly through it, slamming into Dustox, knocking them both into Cyndaquil's Flamethrower. The fire melted the ice, but neither Pokémon was able to battle after the combined assault of Fire and Ice.

"Now Skitty, Assist!" May shouted. Skitty's paw began to glow. The Normal-type swung her paw, and a huge, intense flame shot from it. Cacnea and Dustox leapt out of the way, causing the white-hot flames to scorch Meowth, who tossed Pikachu's prison into the air.

"Was that Blaziken's Overheat?" Ash laughed, surprised.

"Great job, Skitty!" May praised her Pokémon.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu called from the falling container. Ash leapt up and caught Pikachu in the air. Working the container a bit, he opened it up, allowing Pikachu to nuzzle his face freely.

"I'm glad you're okay, buddy," Ash laughed and smiled. "Now we need to teach those guys a lesson."

Pikachu leapt down onto all fours, ready to strike.

"Why does it always end with a Thunderbolt?" Team Rocket all threw their arms around each other, cringing from the impending strike.

"Pikachu, finish 'em off with Thunderbolt!" Ash declared.

Pikachu leapt into the air, cheeks sparking. A massive arc of electricity erupted from his body, and shot into the bodies of the Rocket's and their Pokémon. Feeling the full force of the Thunderbolt, Team Rocket screamed in pain as the electricity caused ground beneath them seemed to explode, launching them into the air.

"Catching Pikachu is always the pits!" Meowth shouted his frustrations.

"You should be grate-ful that we're still alive after all of these blast-offs," James added, discouraged.

"Why don't you both put a lid on it! We'll just have to try harder next time!" Jessie angrily shouted at her team mates.

"Wobbuffet!" Jessie's Pokémon added.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" They all shouted as they disappeared as a twinkle in the distance.

Ash and May recalled their Pokémon and began to look for the real quarry masters. There were large construction machines in the clearing nearby, but it seemed that there were no people to be seen.

"Hey Ash," May pointed towards the mountain face, "there's an opening right there. Maybe we'll find more answers as to what's going on by looking inside."

Ash and May peered into the cave's entrance, but it was too dark to see inside. Ash pulled for a Pokéball, and tossed it gently, bringing Cyndaquil back out. Under Ash's command, Cyndaquil lit up his back, and lead the party into the cave. Ash and May couldn't believe what they saw.

Embedded in the regular looking rocks were many tiny rubies. Ash approached the wall to get a better look.

"Woah," Ash blinked, in awe of the jewels.

"There must be a fortune in just this chamber, alone," May gasped, looking at the gem stones.

"Pika…" he cooed in wonder.

May turned away from the entrance. "Hey, guys, the cave goes in deeper. Anyone who might know anything might be in further."

"We don't have any other leads," Ash shrugged. As the couple began to leave the chamber with Ash's Fire-type leading the way, something caught the boy's eye.

A ruby, about the size of his thumb, sparkled in a way that drew his attention to it. It sat open on the ground, ready to be taken up by a passerby. Ash bent over and picked up the round dirty gem stone. It wasn't refined, and thus had a dirty, rough appearance. It almost seemed like someone had tossed it aside after looking at it, and deciding that it wasn't good enough. _It tried so hard to get my attention_, Ash thought,_ that I can't just leave it here._

"Hey, Ash," May was walking ahead, "what're you looking at?"

"Uh-nothin'!" he said, snatching the ruby into his pocket. He'd figure out what to do with it, later. Now they needed to find the ruby Celio sent them to get.

Cyndaquil lit the way as Ash and May traveled further into the cave. As they lost sight of the entrance, May began to cling tightly to Ash's arm.

"It's getting pretty scary in here, Ash…" May whimpered, "I-I think we should go back and look for help."

"Don't be scared, May," Ash laughed. "There's nothing to be afraid of in this cave." Peering ahead, Ash caught the sight of an orange glow emanating from a cavern ahead. "See, May," Ash pointed it out. "That light means that someone's probably here ahead of us."

"T-that's good," May gulped. "But what if they're not friendly? We did just see Team Rocket outside. This person might be their friend."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, May," Ash responded.

Pikachu twitched his ears, trying to hear anyone ahead. Catching a faint noise, he leapt from Ash's shoulder and began running forward, past Cyndaquil and into the darkness.

"Pikachu, where are you going?" Ash called his partner back.

"Won't Pikachu get lost in the dark?" May began to worry, clinging painfully tightly to Ash's arm.

"Pikachu'll be fine. He can see in the dark," Ash smiled confidently. "Let's follow him," he said, turning to May. He began to dash ahead, but allowed Cyndaquil to keep the lead to light the way.

Soon, Ash and May saw that the orange light wasn't from any man-made light source.

As they entered the cavern chamber, they found themselves on cliff overlooking a pool of molten rock. May almost jumped out of her skin at the sight. She clenched her eyes shut and hid behind Ash, fearing the volcanic activity.

A man-made cliff seemed to be made in the rock, creating a path around the molten lake. The path ended abruptly at a wall on the opposite side of the chamber.

Pikachu stood close to a cloaked figure whose back was against the wall. The Electric-type's cheeks sparked fiercely, and he growled at the figure.

The figure was taller than Ash, and had a vaguely human outline. However, the figured was cloaked in a dark-brown cape, wrapped around him to guard against the heat haze present in the room. Two tufts of purple hair seemed to be poking themselves out of the hood worn by the individual.

Ash began to run towards the figure to back up Pikachu, but May held him still. "Ash, I don't want you to go in there, it's too dangerous!" May shivered. "Please…"

"I have to help Pikachu," he said calmly. "You can stay here, where it's safe. It won't take long to talk to this guy."

"Will you be careful?" May sniffed, tears in her eyes.

"Don't cry, May," Ash put his hand on her cheek. "I'll be fine. This guy probably has the ruby, anyway. Just stay put, okay?"

May nodded and gave Ash a quick hug. "I love you, Ash. I just don't want you to be burned to a crisp."

Chuckling, Ash pulled out of the hug, saying, "I'll come back in one piece, May. I always will."

"Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted from his position holding the figure in check.

After recalling Cyndaquil, Ash began running to Pikachu's position, leaving May in the entranceway. "Alright, buddy, I'm here."

"Pika!" he nodded, his gaze never leaving the cornered person.

"Who are you?" Ash shouted to the figure. "And what are you doing here, trying to take that ruby? It doesn't belong to you!"

"I never wanted to meet you again under circumstances such as these," a booming voice came from the cloak. "This place is a poor location for a rematch."

"Rematch?" Ash blinked. He turned his head to May, who hadn't seemed to catch any of their words. _She must be out of earshot_, he thought.

"Yes," the cloak repeated. "Our rematch. You beat me last time."

"Who are you?" Ash retorted. "When have we battled before?"

"Forgive my manners," the cloak bowed. "For you to recognize me, I must discard this garb." And with that, his arm pulled on the right shoulder of the cloak, and ripped it off, tossing it into the magma.

Before Ash stood a man he recognized. Even though May was far back, she recognized him, too.

The man wore a bodysuit, stretching over his body to his now-bare shoulders. It was purple around his torso, and white along his legs. White shoulder fins jutted out of the outfit, both connected with a gold broach attached to his chest. A purple 'tail', much like a bird's tail, sat on the ground behind him, attached to his back, along with six fairy wings. He stood in firm, purple boots.

His face seemed more crazed than Ash remembered. The Purple hair that poked from the hood now fell backwards. The man's sideburns curled around his cheeks, surrounding a growing smirk. On his head sat a gold crown, designed to appear as half a Pokéball, to match his gold choker around his neck, and the gold bracers on his arms, under one of which he held a ruby about the size of Ash's backpack.

"No… no way…" Ash stepped back, his eyes widening.

"Yes, it is I," the man smirked. "Tucker, Dome Ace, and Frontier Brain."

"What are you doing here? The news said you were gone!" Ash blinked.

"The news can be wrong, if they don't know the full story," Tucker huffed back.

"But what do you want with that ruby? Did Celio send you to get it?" Ash asked the Brain.

"Celio? I know not any Celio," the Dome Ace responded. "I'm here on someone else's prerogative."

"Then who sent you?" Ash demanded an answer. "Who wants the ruby?"

"I'm afraid I can't let you know," Tucker's gaze narrowed. "And now, to make my exit." Tucker leapt into the air, far above Ash's head, and landed near the doorway, which was barred by May.

"H-how did you jump that high?" May gasped, stumbling back.

"It comes with the package," he smirked, stepping past her.

May ran back in front of him. "I'm not gonna let you get away with the ruby!" She pulled a Pokéball out from her pack, and tossed it into the air.

May's Blaziken appeared before the Frontier Brain, who began stepping back. "Your Blaziken looks powerful," he smirked, "but it is tactics that win battles, not power." Stepping into the chamber as Ash began running towards the Brain, he dropped a Pokéball of his own.

A large blue Pokémon came out. He had large fins on his head above his orange eyes, and a much larger fin served as his tail. Orange sections of his arms seemed to be tempered to take powerful moves and retaliate full force.

"Swaa…" the large Pokémon scared Ash backwards.

"Now, if you don't let me pass, little lady, I'm afraid that my Swampert will be forced to break this cliff with his Dynamic Punch. At the best, your friend will be stuck and require rescue. At worst, he'll fry like a worm in boiling oil." Tucker stated plainly to May as a look of fear overcame her face. "As you can see, I hold the cards now. Let me pass, or watch him die."

May began to raise her Pokéball up to recall Blaziken, but saw that Ash was making a move. As the girl lowered her ball again, Ash flung a Pokéball out towards Tucker's Swampert. "Sceptile, Leaf Blade!" Ash let his move be known. The ball snapped open, letting Ash's Forest Pokémon loose. The blades on the powerful Grass-type's forearms began to glow, and using them, he slashed into the chest of Swampert, knocking him backwards into Tucker.

"You're not gonna get away with stealing, even if you're a Frontier Brain!" Ash shouted triumphantly.

"Tile," he smirked, placing his twig in his mouth.

"We see how many cards you hold now, Tucker," May taunted him back as the Brain came to his feet. "Now give up and give us the ruby. We don't want to have to battle anymore."

"Hmph," Tucker grunted. "You still fail to understand, little girl. A brilliant tactician always has a back up plan." He turned to his Pokémon as he came to his feet. "Now Swampert, use Earthquake!"

"Earthquake? In a cave like this?" May was once again scared.

"May, get back!" Ash shouted.

Swampert placed all four of his limbs on the ground. He grunted slightly and pressed against the ground. Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and the magma began to boil. As May ran backwards into the cave, the entrance way fell in on top of her, catching her leg. Blaziken was only a few steps ahead as the collapse began.

"Blaziken, please, help me quick!" May's voice was full of panic.

Blaziken nodded, going to work to begin pulling the rocks off of May's trapped leg.

Inside the cavern, however, things were getting worse for Ash. He had heard May's screams, but he was now hanging for his life. The earthquake collapsed the cliff on which he stood. His mind began racing. Pikachu was on his back. Sceptile stood on the cliff above, battling Tucker's Swampert. In his Pokéballs were Cyndaquil, Totodile, Aipom and Muk. Aipom! "Pikachu, get out Aipom's Pokéball and call her out. She can help us up."

"Pika!" he began to climb to Ash's belt, to grab Ash's Pokéball. Pikachu lost his footing, however, and began to fall. "Pikapi!" the Pokémon shouted in panic as he began to fall towards the fiery pit below.

"Pikachu!" Ash dropped hold of the cliff in one of his hand and caught the electric type before he fell to his death.

"Sceptile?" the Pokémon asked to be sure his trainer was alright.

"I'm fine, Sceptile, just keep battling!" Ash shouted.

However, as those words left his mouth, his grip on the cliff began to fade. As the rock slipped from between his fingers, the recent events of his life began flashing before his eyes. "Sceptile, tell May that I'll always love her!" After he said those words, he began to fall, Pikachu in his arms, towards the magma.

* * *

**Cliffhanger, literally?**


	8. Silver Lining

**I'm sorry I didn't update last week. My Lappy decided to stop working, and I couldn't get it checked out until I returned to college, due to warrenty stuff. But here it is now, the next chapter. Regular Updates should resume next week. See you then!**

* * *

"Hurry, Blaziken!" May pleaded. The Fire-Fighting Pokémon continued to toss rocks from the collapse that trapped her trainer. The Blaze Pokémon grunted as she tossed another rock backwards into the inky darkness.

"You need help, don't you, Blaziken? My hands are still free, so…" May reached for her Pokéballs. "Everyone, help out!" Four additional Pokémon came to her aid. Munchlax began charging a Focus Punch to break the rocks, but was stopped by Beautifly, who told the Big Eater that the broken rocks could further hurt May. Munchlax sighed, and the normal type began to pull rocks off one by one, much like Blaziken continued. Beautifly pulled rocks off with her String Shot, but didn't have the strength to get the larger ones.

"Eevee, tunnel under these rocks and go help Ash," May ordered her Evolution Pokémon. Eevee yelped back to May, and began to burrow. "Skitty, follow Eevee and help her," May commanded the kitten Pokémon. Skitty hopped into the hole after Eevee and followed her though.

Eevee popped her head up at the ensuing battle. Ash's Sceptile held Swampert to the ground, the Leaf Blades on his arms threatening to do additional harm to the Mud Fish Pokémon. Tucker's legs stood right in front of the hole Eevee created. Looking up, she saw that Tucker was reaching for another Pokéball to toss into the battle. Just as Eevee began to prepare to pounce on Tucker, Skitty rammed her head up, launching Eevee into the air. Eevee's cries distracted Tucker as well as the battling Pokémon. Tucker reached into the air and snatched Eevee up by the fluff around her neck.

"So who do we have here?" Tucker asked the flailing Pokémon. "Do you belong to that girl?" Eevee tried to kick his arm with her rear legs, but her reach wasn't far enough. "It's much too late for you to play the hero. That boy and his Pikachu are dead, and after I release Arcanine, this Sceptile will join him. And your trainer will have to become another unfortunate casualty to this situation. It pains me to do this, but I have my or-YEOUCH!"

The quick end of his monologue was brought about by Skitty sinking her teeth into his left boot, and consequently, his leg. He kicked the Kitten Pokémon aside, causing the small Normal-type to tumble across the ground back towards the cave in that trapped her trainer. Skitty growled deeply and lifted her glowing paw into the air. After her paw shone for a moment, her opposing paw began to glow as well, and she began to move them side to side rhythmically.

"I know what that is," Tucker scowled at the pink Pokémon. "I'll nip this in the bud." He brought his foot into Skitty, knocking the kitten off of the cliff into the fiery pit below.

Sceptile's jaw dropped while Skitty fell through the air. He felt the twig fall from his lips and heard it land on the ground between Swampert's legs. The Forest Pokémon stomped his foot to the ground, screaming at the falling Kitten. He felt his energy shoot through his feet, and materialize in huge vines that protruded from the side of the cliff. The vines snapped at Skitty, launching the Pokémon up though the air and into Tucker's face. The startled Brain couldn't take advantage of this surprise and ended up falling in onto his back. Eevee fell from Tucker's grasp and fled to stand alongside Sceptile.

Wiping the blood from his lips, Tucker stood, and, scrambling, scooped the ruby back under his arm. "Swampert, forget the battle. True tacticians know even when to escape!" Swampert scrambled to his feet and leapt over to Tucker's side. "Now, Focus Punch through the stones and let us escape!"

Swampert pulled back his fist as it became enveloped in a bright, white aura. As he swung his punch forward, however, two beams of highly concentrated energy shot thought the rocks, launching Swampert across the chamber, back to where Pikachu had cornered him earlier. Reacting quickly, Tucker recalled the bewildered Pokémon and leapt though the hole made by the beams, running past a group of Pokémon who seemed to have ducked and covered their heads. A brunette coordinator watched as the spooked man ran into the darkness.

"What on earth could that have been?" May thought out loud. Blaziken and Munchlax stood and moved the few loose rocks that remained after the blast.

Blaziken let out a soft growl. May's leg was cut up and bleeding. The girl gritted her teeth and told Blaziken to reach into her pack for a bandage. Her starter complied and began using it to wrap her leg. With some help from Munchlax, May was able to come to her feet. She leaned on Blaziken for support and hobbled over the rubble into the magma chamber.

Sceptile stood looking at his claws, a confused and amazed look in his eyes. Skitty ran up to May and leapt into the arm that wasn't using Blaziken for support and began nuzzling her trainer's chest. Eevee let out a glad sigh as she saw May stumbling forth.

May, with Blaziken's help, stepped over to Sceptile. "Sceptile, are you okay?" the coordinator placed her hand on his shoulder.

Sceptile looked into her eyes and then turned away. He looked over the cliff face that had shattered from Swampert's Earthquake. Where Ash and Pikachu had stood.

"No…" May whispered. She pushed herself off from Blaziken and limped over towards the cliff. She fell to her knees about half way, but crawled over to the edge. She finally was able to see over the edge, and what she saw made her grin.

"May, are you alright?" Ash shouted from where he stood. Where he stood was a rock that seemed to be floating on the magma. Pikachu, who was on his shoulder, also called out to her when he saw her.

"Ash," she chuckled, tears sliding from her eyes, "what are you doing down there?"

"I'm certainly not battling Tucker like I should be!" the trainer shouted back. "What happened? Is he gone?"

"Why don't we get you up, and we can fill in each other's blanks?" May suggested after rubbing her eyes.

* * *

"After the rocks fell, I told Eevee and Skitty to tunnel under them to go help you fight Tucker," May explained as Ash helped her through the cave. "Munchlax and Beautifly helped Blaziken take the rocks off, but it was awfully slow going. Suddenly, though, I saw some red lights light up in the distance. I recognized it as an attack and sure enough, a few moments later, a huge Hyper Beam shot though the rocks over me!" 

"That is strange," Ash blinked as they stepped through the cavern. "But what was the attack you saw? The one with the red light?"

"Cynda!" the echidna Pokémon squealed.

Cyndaquil pointed at a large hole that appeared in the ground in front of them. It was a rather wide hole that they would have seen if it had been there when they came into the cave.

"Woah, what made that?" Ash blinked.

"Maybe the Pokémon that saved me?" May tilted her head.

"What was that attack, though?" Ash asked.

"I thought it was Lock On," May said. "I remember the color."

"Lock on…" Ash thought out loud, "… to make sure that the beams wouldn't hit you and only break the rocks. Someone must have powerful Pokémon looking out for us."

"What do you mean, 'us'? May asked while Ash helped her around the hole. "You never told me how you survived the fall into the magma."

"Ah, right," Ash laughed. "Well, ya see, as I was falling, I saw what looked like an Ice Beam hitting the magma below me, cooling it off enough so that I could land on the hard rocks instead of the hot magma. Pikachu was just as surprised as I was."

"Pikachu…" he added, nodding.

"We were stuck down there, but we were able to see something interesting," Ash noted. "When something knocked Skitty off from the ledge, a huge vine came out of the cliff and slapped Skitty back up. And I think it was Sceptile."

"Sceptile?" May blinked. "What kind of attack would that be?"

"I'm betting on Frenzy Plant," Ash's gaze narrowed.

"The strongest Grass-Type move?" May was quick to respond.

Ash laughed. "How did you know that it was the strongest Grass move?"

"I remember you and Brock telling me about it after that contest with Jeremy, before the Kanto Grand Festival," May blushed. "Even though we weren't going out then, I still took your advice. You've always wanted the help me."

Ash blushed back and cleared his throat. "Anyway, I guess since Sceptile thought I was a goner, and saw Skitty heading for the same fate, it awakened a hidden power inside of him. I wanna see if he can do it again, after we get to the Pokémon Center."

The couple fell silent for a bit as Cyndaquil continued leading them through the cavern. "You're never satisfied with your progress, are you, Ash?" May asked him, breaking the silence.

"I guess not," Ash sighed. "I know that, even though I won the Battle Frontier, there wasn't much fanfare for it, was there?"

"No, I guess not…" May put on a weak smile. "But are you really doing it for the championship and the glory and whatnot?"

"It's not that," Ash grinned back. "Winning the Battle Frontier means I'm one of the best in the world, right? Then how come there wasn't a fanfare for me? Other than you, Brock, Max, and my mom, not many people seemed to be thrilled that I won. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've been traveling for so long, and it just seems that I'll never be acknowledged as one of the best."

"You are one of the best, Ash!" May tried to boost his confidence. "You beat the Battle Frontier, and got high places in the leagues you participated in!"

"Thanks for saying that, May," Ash was obviously downhearted. "But what about the people that beat me in those leagues? Richie, Harrison, Tyson, what about those guys? Could they have beaten the Frontier Brains as well? They did beat me."

May fell silent. She wasn't sure how to answer this newly apparent self-doubt. "Ash, are you alright?"

"Nearly falling into the magma, and surviving thanks to a miracle let me think about my journey, May," Ash sighed. "If I died back there, what would I be remembered for? For top eight in the Hoenn League? Battle Frontier? It just seems so temporary. What if I accepted Scott's proposal to be a Brain? Would I be remembered as a Frontier Brain? Or would I become a crook, like what seemed to have happened to Tucker?"

"Ash, stop talking like that!" May stood on her own two feet. "The Ash I know doesn't doubt his abilities like that! He faces every challenge in his path with all he's got, and even if he comes up short, he doesn't let that stop him. He gets right back up and tries again."

"You make it sound like I'm some kinda boxer or something," Ash laughed. "I guess it really is unlike me to be so worried over something like that. But seeing Tucker here, stealing that ruby, especially with Team Rocket in the way to slow us down made me think. How easy is it for someone to turn their back on everything they've worked so hard on? How could a powerful trainer like a Frontier Brain end up becoming a petty thief and getting help from people like Team Rocket?"

"You think Tucker was being helped by Team Rocket?" May gasped.

"Well, if they weren't, then they both seemed to be against us," Ash continued. "It just doesn't seem like the Brains would just turn on everything like that. And Tucker was just the first to disappear, remember? What if all the Brains who have gone missing have turned to crime like that? Would any police force be able to stop them from doing what they wanted?"

"I don't think we need to think about that now," May said, worried. "We have to get our Pokémon to the Pokémon Center. I bet they're all tired after that battle."

"You're right, May," Ash sighed, again. "All I was thinking about was what could have happened with the Brains, when my Pokémon needed me."

"You're alright, Ash," May smiled, "you're just still jumpy about what happened back there. We both were saved by something…"

"Or someone…" Ash pondered out loud.

* * *

Ash, May, and Pikachu stepped into the town. Unlike the hustle and bustle that they had seen earlier that day, there wasn't a soul in sight. 

"I wonder where everyone went?" May blinked.

"It doesn't matter," Ash shrugged. "Maybe they're all at the beach or something. C'mon, we have to get to the Pokémon Center."

The couple walked back up the road quickly, (or as fast as they could, with May limping slightly, saying that she was alright) rushing towards the Pokémon Center at the top of the hill. Ash, panting, stood in front of the door to the center, but it refused to open. Grunting, he pushed the formerly automatic door to the side, forcing it open. Ash and May wandered into the darkened center. Much like the outside, however, the Pokémon Center seemed to be abandoned. The building was also dark; the power must have been cut off.

"May, do you remember where you found the backup generator in the Oldale Pokémon Center?" Ash turned to her.

"Yeah, I think so," she tapped her chin.

"Go find it," Ash replied. "I'm going to look for clues."

May walked as quick as she could into the rooms behind the counter. As Ash looked around the dark room, Pikachu twitched his ears and ran towards a table in the lobby. Ash followed him and stopped right behind Pikachu, who called out to under the table.

A quite, whimpering sound was in the air, emanating from under the table. The lights to the center flipped on, causing whatever was under the table to jump. Ash leaned down and looked under the table at whatever was making the sound.

A small pink Pokémon sat crying her eyes out. What appeared to be a ponytail fell back from her head. Three small rows sat on her head above her eyes. Dark pink blushes sat on the sides of her face, her small eyes clinched shut in fear. The Pokémon seemed to be in a pink skirt, her small feet pointing into the air as the Pokémon cried.

"What kind of Pokémon is that?" Ash flipped open his Pokédex, furrowing his eyebrow.

"Unknown Pokémon," The Pokédex said in its automatic voice. "This is a newly discovered Pokémon. It is currently under investigation. No detailed information is available at this time."

"An unknown Pokémon…" Ash blinked. He looked at her and smiled. "Hey there, little friend. Are you alright?"

The Pokémon rubbed her eyes and sniffed in the direction of Ash and Pikachu. She chirped to Pikachu, who folded his arms and nodded.

"Pikapi, Pipikchu pikapi pika pikachu," he explained.

"So she lost her round rock, huh?" Ash responded.

"Ash, what happened to the Network Machine?" May shouted as she stormed into the room.

Ash stood up and looked over to the large machine. Or rather, the wreckage that remained. Large holes dotted the machine all over. Upon closer examination, all of the holes had been made from the outside, with large, blunt forces. The inner parts of the machine seemed to be ripped out and destroyed.

"What's going on, Ash?" May asked.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's safe to stay here," he told her.

The small Pokémon chirped at May. May turned and smiled. "Aw, she's so cute! What kind of Pokémon is she?"

"The Pokédex doesn't know," Ash sighed. "But we can't leave her here. It's too dangerous."

"Then we'll have to take her with us," May thought. "Does that mean we gotta catch her?"

Ash shook his head. "No, because if she belongs to someone, then it'd be wrong to catch her. We'll just take her along. If we can find where Nurse Joy and everyone in the center went, we should be able to find her Trainer."

"Good thinking, Ash," May smiled picking it up. The Pokémon seemed to be calmed down by May's touch.

"Now we need to get to the port," Ash told her. "The longer we stay here, the more likely we'll encounter whatever did this. And I don't think it'll be pretty."

Ash and May walked through the rest of the town, finding it as empty as the Center was. The pink Pokémon chirped uneasily in May's arms as they walked down the street.

"Where did everyone go?" Ash asked out loud. "There's no sign of a fight or anything. It's like everyone got up and left town."

"I don't like this," May quivered. "Let's get out of here."

Ash and May went down to the port and found it, predictably, empty. None of the Seagallop ferries seemed to be in the port, and only a few, small boats.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu ran up to a boat that was tied to a dock. Ash and May approached it, and saw that the boat was a motor boat. The keys to the motor were missing, but other than that the boat was ripe for the taking.

"C'mon, get in," Ash said, leaping into the boat.

"Ash, you can't be serious," May held the small, pink Pokémon. "We can't steal this boat."

"We can when we have to find out what happened to these people, and we've got to get to another island to find that out," Ash said.

"How can you tell where the next island is?" May asked him.

Ash produced the map that Scott gave him before they came to the Sevii Islands. "Well, since the rest of the island is north of the port, then this way is east, which means that if we head that way," Ash said, pointing, "we'll come to Two Island."

"Sounds like as good a place as any," May sighed. She stepped into the boat and sat down. "How are we gonna get going?"

"Pikachu, use Thundershock on the motor, very gently," Ash told him. Pikachu sparked gently at the motor, and the engine sparked to life.

"How did you know that that would work?" May was astonished.

"You didn't know that engines need 'spark plugs?,'" Ash joked. May chuckled at the word play as the boat began treading forward before them. The boat began increasing its speed as the sun was setting behind it. As the boat shot through the waters, towards Two Island, Ash and May both wondered what new experiences await them there.


	9. Regrouping

"How much farther?" May yawned.

"Not too far, I think," Ash squinted into the darkness ahead.

"Ya know, maybe you should have thought it through a bit more when you stole this boat," May sighed. "Like the reason that it was in port was because it didn't have much fuel?"

"Complaining now doesn't fix anything!" Ash roared back.

"Hey, chill Ash," May giggled, "I'm just trying to make conversation." The small Pokémon she held chirped agreeing.

Totodile croaked delightfully from the water as he made headway. After the boat had run out of fuel, Ash used a rope inside the motorboat to harness Totodile so that his Big Jaw Pokémon could pull the boat the remaining distance to Two Island.

It had been a few hours since Ash and May left the seemingly abandoned One Island in their stolen vehicle. As the sun set in the distance, the small pink Pokémon they found seemed to be content to lay in May's arms. Her breathing slowed as she snoozed. This mysterious Pokémon, however, was the only clue that Ash and May had to what happened on One Island while they were inside Mt. Ember. The couple enjoyed the peace as Totodile pulled them closer, they hoped, to Two Island.

However, nothing stays peaceful for very long around these two!

The small Pokémon, suddenly, began crying. Her scream caused Ash, May, and Pikachu to hold their ears. Totodile just dove underwater.

"May, what's wrong with her?" Ash shouted, holding his ears, tightly.

"I dunno, do you think she's hungry?" May shouted back, also holding her ears.

Pikachu knew how to quell crying babies. He leapt in front of the bawling Normal-type, and began to stretch his face into silly shapes, much like he did for the young Togepi when Misty's Pokémon was born.

The Pink Pokémon stopped crying and began laughing at the Electric-type's antics. May giggled as she and Ash let Pikachu go to work. "He's gonna be an even better Dad than you'll be," she grinned.

"What do you mean by that?" Ash shot back, his tone sharp.

The baby Pokémon, sensing the tension, began to tear up again. Pikachu, acting quickly, distracted her with another silly antic.

"Okay Ash, just calm down, okay?" May placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know neither of us planned to get stuck on a boat in the ocean, but we might as well make the best of it, right?"

"I guess…" Ash grunted.

"Now, let's try to find something for this little one to eat," May pulled out her Pokéblock case. She popped out varying colors of the candies, and held them under the Pokémon's mouth. She took notice, and popped one of the candies into her mouth, but immediately spit it out. Though discouraged, May tried another Pokéblock. And another. And another. Until all the ones she popped out had been spit out.

"What's wrong? Does she not like your recipes?" Ash asked.

"I don't think that's it," May pondered. "Do you remember Brock's Bonsly? How it never was able to eat solid foods? Well, since she seems like a Baby Pokémon, as well, maybe she can't eat solid foods either?"

"But we don't have any liquid foods," Ash sighed. "We'll just have to wait until we can get to a shop and buy some."

"Totodi!" the energetic Pokémon leapt up from the waters.

Ash and May turned around to see an island with a small town situated on it. The lights from the buildings were visible in the distance. They couldn't be that much further away.

"Alright! Two Island!" May cheered.

"Okay, Totodile, full speed ahead!" Ash ordered

* * *

"Great Job, now return!" Ash cheered, recalling Totodile.

"What are we gonna do about our new friend, Ash?" May held her up. "I don't think she's gonna be quiet for much longer, and it so late that every shop in town is likely to be closed!"

"We'll just take her to the Pokémon Center," Ash sighed, Pikachu resting on his shoulder. "Maybe the Nurse Joy there can help us."

Luckily for the travelers, the Pokémon Center wasn't very far from the port, lying just outside the rest of the town. Ash and May stumbled through the door into the center.

Seeing as to how it was the middle of the night, Chansey stood and waited behind the counter. "Chansey, Chansey!" she called out, running back to find Nurse Joy.

A tired Joy wandered out of the back room wearing a robe. "Oh, what are you children doing up this late? It isn't healthy to stay up like this," she told them, becoming concerned.

"We just got into town," Ash explained, "and we found this Baby Pokémon. We think she got separated from her trainer, and we don't have any way to feed her."

"Oh dear," Joy stepped out from around the counter. She picked the Pink Pokémon out from May's hands, only to have her burst into tears. Joy quickly dropped the Pokémon back into May's hands. "She doesn't seem to like me very much," the Pokémon Nurse sighed. "I don't think she'd let me feed her at all."

"Then why not let me take a stab at it?" A familiar voice came from the hallway.

Ash and May turned their heads, and their faces turned to wide smiles.

Standing in the doorway, nursing his small Bonsly, was none other than Brock!

"Brock!" they both exclaimed.

"Are you glad to see me?" the Pokémon Breeder smirked.

"How did you know that we were out here?" Ash asked his old traveling partner.

"I talked to your mother, and she told me that you were going to the Sevii Islands today," Brock explained. "I came to Two Island because I figured that you all would come by here eventually. I made sure to stock up on supplies for our trip. I am invited, of course?"

"Of course you are!" May smiled. "It's great having more people that we can rely on, especially with what happened earlier today."

"'What happened earlier'?" Brock raised one of his eyebrows. "Did you two get into any trouble?"

* * *

Ash, May, and Brock all sat in a room together. Ash and May sat on the bottom bunk across the room from their older friend, who nursed the small pink Pokémon with a bottle. Pikachu took a vantage point above Ash and May, and made himself comfortable.

"So, you're saying that when you went to go get that ruby for Celio, you ran into Team Rocket, then Tucker?" Brock asked, making sure not to miss a single detail.

"That's right, Brock," May sighed.

"Tucker attacked us with his Swampert, making an Earthquake underground in that cave," Ash explained. "We both could have died."

"Well, thankfully that's not the case," Brock smiled. "I assume that bandage around your leg, May, is from the battle."

"It is," May looked back down at it. "Tucker's earthquake caused the entranceway I was standing in to collapse. I'm glad that some helpful Pokémon came by and saved me."

"What Pokémon came to save you?" Brock pressed, wanting as much information that he could get.

"I couldn't see them, but I'm sure that there were two, or at least it had a way to shoot two Hyper Beams at the same time," May thought.

"Then maybe it was a Crawdaunt?" Ash thought out loud. "They can shoot two Hyper Beams at once, 'cuz they have both of those pincers."

"But that doesn't explain the red lights," May touched her index finger to her chin.

"'Red lights'"? Brock sighed. "This just seems to get more confusing than ever…"

"Right before the Hyper Beams came through, I saw some red lights light up in the cave," May explained. "I'm pretty sure it was Lock On."

"Lock on? Like what Brandon's Regirock and Registeel used?" Brock gasped.

"Yeah, like that," May declared.

"Do you think Brandon's Pokémon were the ones that saved us?" Ash asked, turning to May.

"Well, his Regice can use Ice Beam," said May, "So maybe he was there helping us."

"But why would he help you if Tucker was trying to kill you?" Brock pondered.

"I don't think he was trying to kill us, Brock," Ash said. "All the time, he was trying to escape with the ruby. He eventually retreated with it, leaving us."

"You think he was just after the ruby, then?" Brock asked.

"I'm sure of it," Ash clinched his fist. "Someone told him to steal the ruby."

"The only person in charge of the Frontier Brains is Scott, though," said Brock. "And having Brandon save you if all he wanted was the ruby doesn't make any sense." Ash sighed and looked at his hands. "I'd be careful what we believe Scott told you two. The new Battle Facility, the Contest, anything is suspect. This smells like a trap. We'll have to be on our guard more so than we normally are with Team Rocket."

"That means we'll need to keep our Pokémon in top condition, right?" Ash grinned. "Well, Sceptile used Frenzy Plant while that battle was going on, so we have a new ace to help us."

"Frenzy Plant, huh?" Brock rubbed his chin. "Maybe we should see how well he has it." Then the breeder let out a yawn as he popped the bottle out of the small Pokémon's mouth. "Maybe tomorrow."

The small Pokémon fell asleep immediately after the bottle was removed. She eyes shut and her breathing slowed as she lay in Brock's arms.

"The Pokédex doesn't know what kind of Pokémon she is?" Brock asked.

"No, I tried when I found her," Ash sighed. "It said that she's a newly discovered Pokémon."

"Hmm, so this little one's not in the Pokédex…" he thought.

"You know, I've been thinking," May spoke up. "Why is this baby so easy going to us? Shouldn't a baby like her be trying to run away from us? Don't we scare her?"

"I've been thinking about that, too…" Brock said, placing the baby in next to him on the bunk, moving the covers to put her under them. "Do you think that maybe this Pokémon belongs to the Nurse Joy of One Island, so that she was trained not to be afraid of trainers?"

"I guess that's a possibility," Ash said. "The only other way would be if it knew us, right?"

"Well, yeah," Brock tilted his head, "but none of us have even seen this Pokémon before. How would it know us?"

"You're right," Ash sighed.

"What if," Brock said, looking at her, "someone planted her there for you to find, and this Pokémon is a spy, or a tracking beacon, or something?"

"That's horrible!" May covered her hands with her mouth. "Who would to such a thing with such a sweet Pokémon?"

"The Frontier Brains are excellent trainers," Brock dimmed. "Any one of them could have trained her to spy on us."

"What an awful thing to do…" Ash growled. "They shouldn't abuse a Pokémon like that…"

"Now let's not jump to conclusions," Brock tried to calm Ash. "It could be anyone's Pokémon, really." The breeder got up and walked towards the light. "We'll need to get up early tomorrow, so let's get to sleep now." He flicked off the light, and returned to the bottom bunk, holding the small egg shaped Pokémon, making sure that she would sleep through the night.

Ash went to the top bunk that he and May were sitting on, with May taking the bottom bunk. Ash sat up looking at the roof, thinking about the harrowing adventure that he and May shared today while he held Pikachu in his arms. He couldn't get the image of Tucker out of his mind. The trainer he met and battled for a Symbol had become a common thief. What could cause someone to do that? What made Tucker-

"Ash?" May whispered from the ladder to the top bunk. "Are you still up?"

"Yeah," he whispered back.

"Do you mind if I sleep with you tonight?" she asked. "I mean," she giggled, "if Pikachu wouldn't mind."

"Sure, c'mon up," he smiled. The trainer moved to the side as May made her way up the bed and slid under the covers. "You couldn't sleep either?"

"No…" she sighed. "I still can't believe what happened today," she whimpered. "I just wanted to have a nice vacation with you, Ash. I didn't want any of this stuff to happen."

Ash wrapped one of his arms around May (the other was still holding Pikachu). "No one wanted any of this to happen, May," he tried to calm her. "I just wanted to have more Pokémon battles, not get caught up in some kind of mystery."

"We're gonna make it, thought, right?" May asked, moving further into Ash's arms. "Everything's going to be alright in the end, right?"

"Of course, May," Ash smiled. "As long as I'm here, I'll always make sure that everything's okay."

"Thanks, Ash," she sighed deeply.

"Hey, May?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

May smiled. "I love you, too, Ash. Now let's get some sleep.

* * *

"Alright, Blaziken, are you ready?" May stood back behind her Pokémon. "Get ready to take a powerful hit."

"Ken," her wrists flared up in anticipation. The dust on the ground outside the Pokémon Center blew around as the training was about to begin.

"Alright, Sceptile," Ash grinned. "Let's try out Frenzy Plant!" he shouted.

Sceptile stomped his left foot to the ground and focused.

However, nothing seemed to happen.

"Try it again!" Ash called out.

Sceptile stomped again, trying to recreate the move that saved Skitty.

But nothing came.

"Once more!" Ash cheered.

Sceptile, getting angry, stomped his right foot this time.

Nothing happened.

Ash, discouraged, sighed. "Alright, Sceptile, that's enough, we'll try it again later."

Sceptile wasn't about to give in, though. He stomped hard, again, shouting angrily.

This time, two thick vines grew from the ground. The vines grew to about Blaziken's knees, and then stopped.

"Sceptile! You've almost got it!" Ash cheered.

Sceptile fell to his left knee. Panting, but smiling, he was happy with his progress.

Blaziken gave a sigh of relief, glad for not having to take a powerful attack.

"Sceptile, are you alright?" Ash ran up to his Pokémon.

"That move must take a lot out of Sceptile," May said, walking up next to Blaziken.

"Take a break, Sceptile," Ash smiled, bringing the Pokémon back into his Pokéball.

"Was that Frenzy Plant?" Nurse Joy, who had been watching the training, asked.

"Well, it almost was Frenzy Plant," Ash sighed. "We've almost got the hang of it."

"There's a rumor on this island," Joy said. "There's an old woman on Cape Brink who knows the secret for unlocking the most powerful Grass, Fire, and Water moves a Pokémon can use. She lives in a single cottage on Cape Brink, away from the people who live here."

"Do you think she could help Sceptile?" May asked Joy.

"I believe so, but you'll have to prove that you have what it takes before she'll help you train," Joy smiled as helpfully as possible.

"Thank you, ever beautiful Nurse Joy!" Brock came down on his knee. "I am on the brink of proposing to you. We could have our wonderful wedding at the cape!"

Pikachu, knowing that Max wasn't around to do it, stood up from his position from next to the baby Pokémon, and bit Brock by the ear, pulling the breeder down to the ground. He stepped backwards slowly, dragging Brock across the ground as he whimpered about his ear.

"Which way is the cape?" Ash eagerly asked the Pokémon Nurse.

"It's on the other side of town. Just follow the path and you should be able to find it," she said.

After regrouping Brock, Ash (with Pikachu on his shoulder), May (with the baby Pokémon in her arms), and the breeder began heading though the town. The group began walking down the streets. Or rather, the walkways. None of the paths on the island looked wide enough to accommodate automobiles. Many would-be sales people hawked their goods to everyone passing by from under their tents. Various sparkling objects tried to capture May's interest, but Brock warned her that these people are more likely to be selling junk than anything really useful. "I should know," he sighed. "I was dealing with most of these guys after I got here yesterday." As Ash and his friends passed by a woman hawking her goods to people, May grabbed Brock by the ear and pulled him away from her, knowing that he would eagerly fall into her traps.

The party stepped out of the town into the forest heading up to the cape. A few wild Pokémon saw them and darted away. Soon they overlooked the ocean from the cape. As the Nurse said, a small cottage stood on the very tip. The building looked rather dilapidated. Swallowing his fear, Ash stepped up to the front door and began knocking.


	10. Moving on up

**I stayed up too late playing cards with my room mates... I really shouldn't over do it like that anymore... Enjoy Chapter 10.**

* * *

May and Brock leaned over Ash's shoulder as the trainer knocked the door.

A voice from behind the door croaked out, "Open the blasted door. It's unlocked."

Taken back from the forwardness of the elderly female voice, Ash placed his hand on the doorknob and gave it a twist. The door opened very easily. Ash and his friends stepped inside the very small building. Ash looked around, seeing a dusty bed lying in the corner. Amid the single room building were tossed about maps, books, pamphlets, and many other items Ash couldn't begin to identify. Sitting in the middle of the room in a rather comfortable looking reading chair sat an old woman. Perhaps due to her advanced age, or maybe her genetics, the woman was quite short. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders and was colored a dusty grey. She wore a white robe, with her wrinkled feet tucked inside slippers. The walls of the house seemed to be covered with old sepia toned pictures.

"Now…" the old woman smiled, several holes in her teeth, "who might you be, who's come to visit me?"

"Uh-I'm Ash Ketchum," Ash began, stepping up into the room. "I'm a Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town. And this is my buddy, Pikachu."

"Pikachu," the Pokémon bowed his head.

"Pallet Town, eh?" the woman rubbed her chin. "That's in Kanto… what brings you so far out here to get my help."

Ash turned around, looking to May and Brock. Both of them were standing at the door, not coming inside. "C'mon guys," Ash whispered back. "If we don't make a good impression, she might not help us."

"You're right…" May gulped. "But this place is creepy…"

"Couldn't she at least have an attractive granddaughter?" Brock muttered. "Isn't that how these things usually work?"

"Now now, children," the lady said, stepping up next to Ash, her head about even to his chest. The woman's eyes held a strange glow. May and Brock both stepped back, cringing slightly (however, the baby Pokémon May carried only let out a giggle). The old woman let out a full bellied laugh. "You kids these days scare so easily," she snickered. "I don't even have to try."

"That's not a very nice trick," Ash turned to her, his face in a scowl.

"Pika, pika!" the Electric type spoke up from Ash's shoulder, sharing his trainer's disposition.

"I'm just having fun," the woman continued to chuckle. "Let an old woman get some kicks in life before she goes on to her last reward."

Ash's mother had always told the boy to respect those older than himself. Ash gritted his teeth at the woman he thought could help Sceptile perfect his new move but only seemed to be interested in joking around. "We need your help, ma'am," Ash tried acting as polite as possible. "My Sceptile is trying to learn how to do Frenzy Plant, but he can't get the hang of it just yet."

The woman stopped and looked at Ash, her eyes wide. Narrowing her gaze, she peered into the boy's eyes. "Ah, so you've heard the story, I take it…" The woman grinned. "Let's get to know each other better." She looked to the door where Ash's friends stood. "All of us."

The woman stepped to her chair and turned it so it faced towards the bed. As the woman placed herself back into her chair, Ash, May, and Brock all sat on her bed.

"First off," the woman started. "Tell me the rest of your names. I want to know who I'm addressing."

"I'm May, from Petalburg City in the Hoenn Region," she smiled as she sat between Ash and Brock. The baby Pokémon chirped in her arms.

"I'm Brock, former Gym Leader and current Pokémon Breeder from Pewter City in Kanto," the older boy spoke.

"My name is Doris," the woman smiled, placing her hands in her lap. "I used to be a powerful Pokémon Trainer back in my heyday."

"How long ago was that?" May whispered mischievously, "the Jurassic Period?"

"I'll have you know that my hearing is still pretty sharp!" she snapped at May's joke. "And it was back in the day when Samuel Oak was a Pokémon Trainer, too!"

"You mean you battled against the Professor?" Ash's jaw dropped.

"Of course I did, and I won, too," the woman smiled. She picked a photo album and delicately flipped it open to a certain page before handing it to May, who sat in the middle. She handed the baby Pokémon to Brock before she took the album in her hands.

A tall, attractive woman with long, dark, flowing hair stood in the photo in front of a Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise. In her arms was a trophy that didn't seem to shine in the old, sepia toned photograph.

"You won a Pokémon league?" Ash was startled.

"You were a babe, once?" Brock began drooling on the pink Pokémon.

"You were tall?" May's eyes widened in fear.

"That's osteoporosis, May," her eyes seemed to glow. "Unless you get your calcium, it'll probably happen to you, too, once you get old."

While May cringed at the thought of shrinking to half her stature, Doris began explaining. "Yes, I was a League Champion, back in my heyday. And I was also quite attractive, as your friend noticed. My trick was three powerful attacks. A Grass attack more powerful than Solarbeam. A Fire attack hotter than Fire Blast. And a Water attack with more force than Hydro Pump. I completely overwhelmed opponents, and since I won that championship, I've taught other trainers how to utilize the hidden capabilities of their Pokémon."

"But how did you discover those techniques?" Brock asked the woman. "If no one could beat you because you had them, then no one else could have obtained them, right?"

"That's half true," she leaned back into her chair. "It's possible for any trainer to be able to use these techniques. After all, if your Sceptile almost preformed the move, then it must be ready."

"So, I don't really need your help?" Ash blinked at the woman's explanation.

She flashed her teeth, as well as the gaps between them. "Of course," she said. "However, it will take many years for you to make the attack even usable. That is, if you don't just want to trip your opponents." She followed this up with a loud laugh. "However, I have spent the greater part of my life researching these moves, and I know the secrets to using them."

"Then tell us!" Ash slapped his hands to his thighs. "We need to be able to use Frenzy Plant in order to stop the Frontier Brains."

"Ah, so you need to stop someone?" Doris closed her eyes. "Why don't you tell me exactly what's going on?"

Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After exhaling, he began speaking. "In the Kanto Region, there's a group of powerful trainers call the Frontier Brains. They each own a facility in what's called the Battle Frontier. The organizer of the Frontier, a man named Scott, asked me to challenge his Frontier. I did, and after lots of hard battles, I won. I defeated all seven Frontier Brains. It was after I turned down his offer to join him that lotsa weird stuff started to happen. Scott showed up, telling me that there's an eighth Brain. I came to the Sevii Islands with May to challenge this Brain, but we met another Brain from Kanto, a man named Tucker here. He was stealing a large ruby that we were supposed to get for someone else. Y'see, on TV back in Kanto, they said that Tucker and some of the other Frontier Brains had gone missing. They went missing back home and just happened to end up here? That smells real fishy if you ask me."

"Pika, pika," Pikachu added from Ash's shoulder.

"Interesting…" Doris nodded. "So you think this "Battle Frontier" has gone to petty crime?"

"No, I'm sure there's something bigger involved. Tucker could have killed May and I back in Mt. Ember, but he didn't. On top of that, something or someone saved us from him. Add in the fact that Team Rocket seem liked they were guarding the door, and I know that something is up," Ash filled her in.

"This "Team Rocket" you mentioned," she said with her eyes closed as she processed the information, "who are they?"

"Team Rocket is a group that uses Pokémon to steal and do other bad stuff," Ash continued. "There's these three members in particular that keep on following me around to try to steal Pikachu away," Ash said.

"I see…" she said. Her eyes shot open. "Come with me."

Ash, May, and Brock followed her outside. She turned her gaze to the cliff that over looked her small home. "Here is where we'll train. First, there are some guidelines to learning my special techniques. First, the Pokémon must have the Ability Overgrow, Blaze or Torrent. Second, it must have reached its final stage of evolution. Third, its power must be sufficient to learn the move. Fourth, the move itself is triggered by a rush of emotion. This is the reason that you can't use the technique too much: abuse of the technique both physically and emotionally drains your Pokémon. This draining will make your Pokémon unfit for battle." She turned back to Ash, May and Brock. "Now, let me see your Pokémon.

Ash tossed Sceptile's Pokéball into the air. The ball snapped open, and Ash's Forest Pokémon stood before the old woman. He causally placed the twig in his mouth and looked down his nose at her.

Doris closed her eyes. "Yes… I sense it in him. He has the ability, and has unlocked it himself. He just needs a little more help to fully master the skill." Her eyebrows arched up. "May! Do you have a Pokémon with similar properties to this one?"

"Huh?" May said, blinking and holding the baby Pokémon in her arms. "I guess so, why?"

"Let me see it. Show me your Pokémon," she ordered.

May handed the baby back to Brock and took out Blaziken's Pokéball. She opened it in the palm of her hand, and her Blaze Pokémon stood proudly in front of the elderly lady.

Doris nodded. "This one is further behind, but I sense in her the ability to use one of my techniques, too."

"Really?" May blinked, looking at her starter Pokémon. "She can use Blast Burn?"

The wise woman nodded. "Yes, she has the power, and only needs a bit of training."

Brock let out a sigh as he pulled out his Pokéball. "Since Marshtomp isn't a Swampert, he can't learn Hydro Cannon," he sighed.

Doris shrugged. "Those are the breaks. Now, let's try to use the techniques."

Ash stood behind Sceptile as the reptilian Pokémon assumed a battle stance. Doris stepped forward and extended a wrinkled finger towards the cliff. "Do you see the one dark stone amongst all the ones bleached out by the sun?"

Ash squinted towards the cliff. About halfway up the cliff was an oddly dark stone, amid the more lightly colored stones on the cliff face. "Yeah, I see it."

"That's the target, Ash," she said.

Ash called Sceptile to ready. "Alright, Sceptile, try Frenzy Plant on that rock!"

Sceptile heaved as he slammed his foot to the ground. Two large, thick vines shot out of the ground and grew straight up into the air. They grew to about Brock's height before stopping.

Doris' mouth fell open. "Incredible! That's much farther than I had hoped!" She began bouncing up and down like a girl much younger than she was. "Try some manipulation, now."

"Okay, Sceptile," Ash called out, "Swipe at the cliff with Frenzy Plant!"

Sceptile grunted and the vines began snapping at the bottom of the cliff. Loud, snapping sounds, as if made by a whip, filled the air. Unfortunately, the whips were too short to reach the target rock, only reaching the base of the cliff.

"It's a great effort," the tutor noted. "However, there's something about the placement of the vines."

"'The placement of the vines?'" Ash blinked.

"You see, when a Pokémon has mastered Frenzy Plant, that Pokémon can create the vines from nearly any surface," she said. "Sceptile should be able to conjure vines from right under that rock and shove it out, if he needed to."

"Sceptile, can you try to grow the vines out from the cliff?" Ash asked his Grass-type.

Sceptile grunted and the vines that had already grown sunk back into the ground. About at Sceptile's eye level, the vines reemerged from the cliff. They began stretching towards the dark rock.

"Awesome, Sceptile!" May hopped up and down from behind Blaziken. "You didn't even need to touch the cliff."

Doris nodded. "Frenzy Plant is easily the most difficult to master. Blast Burn is just energy manipulation similar to Overheat, and Hydro Cannon is just a very intense Hydro Pump. Frenzy Plant calls for the user to call for plant life out from where there may be none."

Sceptile's Frenzy Plant snapped at the target rock, causing it to shift slightly. Sceptile let out a roar, and the vines lashed at the rock again, this time knocking it from the cliff onto the ground. The vines quickly retracted back into the cliff, and Sceptile collapsed to his hands and knees.

"Sceptile! Are you okay?" Ash panicked, placing his hands along the back of his Pokémon.

"He's fine, just needs to rest," Doris nodded. "Like I said, these moves can take a bit out of you." She turned to May. "Now, how would Blaziken like a try at her skill? Do you see that indention? Try to aim the Blast Burn so it lands inside there."

Sceptile came to his feet and stepped out of the way into some cool grass. He sat down and turned his gaze to Blaziken's trial. The Blaze Pokémon stood tall and her trainer was confident. "Blaziken," May shouted loudly, "use Blast Burn!"

Blaziken opened her mouth and began forming a ball of white and orange flames. The ball steadily grew until it was about the size of a Pokéball. The avian Pokémon lurched her head forward, and launched the ball of searing flames. However, as it flew through the air, the ball quickly dissipated, and merely puffed out when it came into contact with the cliff.

"Needs more practice, I'm afraid," Doris shook her head.

"Well, we'll just keep practicing, alright Blaziken?" May asked her starter Pokémon.

"Blaze!" she agreed, her fists flaring up.

"Hey!" A man called from the edge of the forest. "Boy! Are you Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town?"

Surprised, Ash called back. "I'm Ash Ketchum!"

The man quickened his pace, running towards the old woman's house. He made it to the entrance path before he collapsed to his hands and knees. The man was overweight and balding. Ash was amazed that such a man could run all this way from town.

"My…" he gasped, "I'm… I run the game arcade in town…" he panted. "My niece came to visit me… She went to the Berry Forest on…"

"Are you alright, sir?" Ash blinked. "What was that about your niece?"

"She came to visit me…" he heaved. "She went to Berry Forest this morning, and said that she'd be here by now. I'm getting worried. I don't have any Pokémon to go into the forest to find her."

"I don't like the sound of this, guys," Brock whispered. "This sounds like a trap."

"You have to save my niece!" he pleaded, grabbing on to Ash's sweatshirt. "You're her friends!"

"Who is your niece?" May asked, stepping around from behind Ash.

"It's Cyndi…" he said. "Cyndi from Cerulean City."

"Cyndi?!" Ash, May and Brock shouted.

"Piika!" Ash's partner's ears snapped up.

"Alright, we'll go get her," Ash smiled to the man, trying to unlatch him from his sweatshirt.

"Oh, thank you!" the man cried into Ash's chest. Ash stepped back and the man fell on to the ground.

"But what about the training?" Doris stepped up. "You're not just gonna leave, are you?"

"We have to, ma'am," Ash said. "Cyndi's a friend of ours, so we need to go check up on her."

"In that case," Doris said, rubbing her chin, "why not leave Sceptile and Blaziken here? You'll be coming back to Two Island, anyway, right? I can train them to use the moves while you three go get your friend."

Brock pulled his friends into a huddle. "This is starting to sound more and more like a set-up," he whispered.

"But if Cyndi is in trouble," May whispered back, "we have to go save her."

"But do you really wanna leave Sceptile and Blaziken here?" Brock asked. "This woman might try to steal them."

"I trust her, Brock," Ash told his friend. "I know she won't hurt our Pokémon."

Brock smiled. "Just as long as you're sure. Just so you know, I agreed with you both in the first place."

They broke the huddle and turned to Doris. "We'll leave Sceptile and Blaziken here with you so they can train," Ash said.

May turned to Cyndi's uncle. "Now, we need to get headed to Three Island and this Berry Forest you told us about."

The man nodded and smiled. "Alright, just follow me."

* * *

The man had lead them back through town to the port, where he had his own boat waiting. Ash placed Pikachu back on his shoulder as the group began boarding. May's hands held the back of her head because she had to hand the baby Pokémon to Brock for feeding time. The breeder smiled, happy to use his skills to help his friends.

After they climbed into the cabin of the ship, the man, who told them that his name was Gus, began turned on the ship and began pulling out of port. It wasn't five minutes before Three Island came up on the horizon. May, having nothing better to do than look out the window, blinked and then asked out loud, "Why are there two islands when we're going to just Three Island?"

"Oh," Gus spoke from the wheel, "that's because Berry Forest is on an island all to itself. The people of Three Island built a bridge there so they could get all the fruit that grew on the island."

"I see…" May said. She hopped back over to where Brock and Ash were sitting. "Oh, it's called Berry Forest, right? I bet there'll be tons of berries that I can make Pokéblock out of! We have to get some!"

"We'll have plenty of time to get berries, May," Brock smiled, trying to calm her down.

Ash smiled at May. She seemed to be completely over that worry she was in last night. Ash was happy to see her back to her old self. Seeing May smile helped him forget about all the trouble they had been though recently. She still had the bandage around her leg from the day before, but she was easily as mobile as she was before their run in with Tucker. Things started to look up, it seemed.

"Ash," May broke him out of thought, "I can tell you're staring." She winked cutely at him and let out a giggle.

"Ash," Brock leaned over, tossing his arm around the younger boy's neck, "have I ever given you some patented Brock love advice?"

The group of friends all let out a laugh, glad that happier times seemed to be upon them. But it's always calmest before the storm.


	11. Ten paces, turn, conspire!

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It's longer than a bit of the recent ones. We also get a battle! I hope you like it!**

* * *

Gus's fishing ship slowly pulled into the harbor where he let our heroes out. "I've gotta get back to my arcade," he explained. "I'm sure that the three of you can handle getting Cyndi back to me, right?"

"Of course, sir," Ash grinned. "We'll get over to that forest and find her. She's probably just hanging out with some Pokémon or something."

"I hope you're right…" the older man sighed. "Good luck." With that, he pulled out of the harbor back to Two Island.

Brock, handing the Baby Pokémon back to May, reached into his pocket and took out a map. "So, this is Two Island, huh?" he said, pointing to it's location on the map.

May sighed to herself. "Max used to be our map checker before he went home…" she sighed. Sensing her distress, the baby Pokémon let out a whimper.

"I miss Max, too, May," Ash wrapped an arm around her waist while standing along side her. "I'm sure he'll have plenty of good stories when we see him again."

"Talking about Max reminds me," Brock said. "When we find Cyndi, I wonder how she'll take the fact that Max isn't with us anymore."

"Not very well," May tried to joke, "knowing that puppy crush she has on him."

The group chuckled as they stepped out of the harbor into the small town of Three Island. Suddenly, all of the people who were walking around the town all turned their eyes to the travelers. The town was sparsely populated; a few women stood outside hanging laundry, children played in the dusty path that made its way through town. A few men, playing checkers in front of a saloon, were chuckling to themselves a few moments ago. All of them had stopped their activities and stared blankly at the travelers.

Ash approached the children, who were called back by their mothers, who were dropping all of the unhung clothes back into their baskets and rushing off into their wooden houses.

A man in a large white cowboy hat with a beard stepped out from the crowd growing near what appeared to be a saloon. "You, boy," he addressed Ash in front of the crowd. "Where're you from?"

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town," he said, "what's wrong here?"

"What's wrong here is that we don't want none of you Kanto folk here on our island," the man said. "Why don't you and your little pals just turn right back and go home?"

"What?" Brock stepped forward, "you can't seriously be kicking people out of your town just because they're from Kanto, can you?"

"And who are you to talk to me like that?" the man challenged Brock. The crowd he seemed to represent chimed in behind him in a chorus of 'yeah', 'who does this guy think he is?' among other things.

"I'm Brock, former Pewter City Gym Leader," he shot back.

Before he could continue, someone shouted up, "Hey, that's in Kanto, too!"

"Alright, boys, you're looking at the law on this island," the man held the tip of his hat in one hand and flashed his sheriff's badge in the other. "I suggest you two just get on outta here before you get hurt."

Ash began reaching for a Pokéball to challenge the sheriff with, but Brock whispered quickly. "Ash, we probably shouldn't fight the law enforcement around here." Grunting, Ash and Brock turned around and headed back into the port.

"Wait!" May shot back. "You can't just kick them out without saying why you're doing it!"

"I don't gotta say nothing to no Kanto folk," he said, brushing her off.

"But I'm not Kanto folk!" May shot back. "I'm May from Petalburg City, from the Hoenn Region!"

"Hoenn?" the sheriff raised an eyebrow. "How do I know you're not pulling my leg? Why don't you take your cutesy Pokémon with you and run back to your daddy?"

"Well, my 'daddy' is the Petalburg Gym Leader," May shot back. "And I know he wouldn't put up with this, and neither will I!" The baby Pokémon also fired back, chirping harshly at the sheriff.

"May, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Ash whispered, having stepped up behind May during her shouting contest with the sheriff.

"I'm not gonna let 'em force you all to leave. We came here to get Cyndi, and we're not going to let some sheriff stop us," May whispered back.

"Alright, you've got spunk, little lady," the sheriff smirked. "I'll tell you what; we'll handle this like we always do on this island: a duel."

The crowd all let out various gasps of horror at the announcement.

A rather lanky man stepped out of the crowd, wearing blue jeans and tall boots. The man was shorter than the sheriff, and also lacked the facial hair of the officer of the law. "Sir," the man stuttered, "d-don't you think that's a little extreme? I mean, she's just a woman, barely more than a little girl. Shouldn't you take it easier on her?"

The sheriff ignored the man. "Now listen here, May was it? Since high noon has already passed by, we'll have our duel at sunset. If you win, we'll let you and your little friends stay on the island as long as you want. If you lose…" he began rubbing his chin. He snapped his fingers and pointed at May's head. "If you lose, not only do you and your friends get stuck on the first boat outta here, but you've gotta give me that bandana you've got there. My little girl would really like something like that."

May placed her right hand on her bandana. "My… bandana…" She closed her eyes, remembering the circumstances that lead to her receiving that emerald green gift from someone she cared about deeply. A look of anger came across her face. "You've got it!"

"But May," Ash shouted. "I-"

"Either I agree to the stakes, or he's just gonna kick us off the island right now anyway, right?" she sighed, turning her head to the trainer. She began smirking. "And besides, I don't intend to lose."

Ash grinned. "I know you don't. And I know that you'll beat this guy."

"The duel'll be on the Bond Bridge that links Three Island to Berry Forrest," the sheriff announced. "At sundown."

"Alright, you have a deal," May glared at the sheriff.

"Boys," the sheriff called into the crowd, "why don't you make our guests from Kanto feel welcome?"

A few large men leapt from the crowd and descended on Brock and Ash, tackling them to the ground. Pikachu rolled off of Ash's shoulder as the youth and his friend were jerked back to their feet, their hands bound behind their backs.

"Ash!" May's eyes widened. She turned to the sheriff, shouting, "What are you doing to my friends?"

"We're just gonna keep 'em cosy while we wait for the duel. And the best place is behind bars," the sheriff grinned. "Take 'em away, boys."

The men began shoving Ash and Brock through the crowd. Pikachu called to his trainer, but Ash shouted back, "Pikachu, take care of May for a while!"

Pikachu stood back on his hind legs. "Pikapi…" he sighed. He then, ran over back to May and jumped on her shoulder.

Watching the commotion from a nearby rooftop, Jessie, James, and Meowth saw Ash and Brock get taken away.

"Did those twerps just get booked?" James blinked, Mime Jr. sharing his confused expression.

"I never thought I'd see that happen," Jessie added, watching the trainer and his friend get taken into the town.

"Hey, dis is poifect!" Meowth jumped up. "Now dat twoipette is all alone, we can use dis oppatunity ta finally catch Pikachu and give him ta da Boss!"

"You're right, Meowth," James snickered. "Without her boys to protect her, that twerp can't stop us!"

"While the boy twerps are away, Team Rocket will play!" Jessie giggled.

"When we catch Pikachu, we won't know what to do, with the money from the Boss that's long overdue!" the trio sung out in unison.

"Wobbuffet!" the patient Pokémon leapt up, encouraging the team.

"De, Deli!" a Pokémon cried to the Rockets on the rooftop.

"Huh?" James turned to the source of the noise. "Who could that be?"

"Deli, deli!" the red and white bird Pokémon spoke as he landed. He began to reach into his sack-like tail.

"What'cha got for us dis time, Deliboid?" Meowth asked the Pokémon.

Delibird, one of Team Rocket's Pokémon couriers, took a letter out and handed it to Jessie.

"What's it say, Jess?" James asked, peering over her shoulder.

"Lemme take a look at it," Meowth squirmed into Jessie's lap, his head poking over the page.

"Wobbuffet!" Jessie's Psychic Pokémon said, leaning over her other shoulder.

"Would you all just back off!" the Rocket Woman jumped up and shouted at her comrades. "Give me a second to read it!" She then returned her gaze to the paper. "It says that the Boss wants us to come see him in person!" she read out loud, with growing horror as she progressed.

"In person?!" James leapt back. Mime Jr. also leapt backward, mimicking James' distress.

"Maybe he just wants to congratulate us for the great job we've been doing?" Meowth hazarded a guess.

"Do you have Pokéblock for brains?" Jessie insulted. "We haven't gotten him anything, recently! This is probably to give us our pink slips."

"Delideli!" the Ice-Flying type spoke up. "Deli, de de de, deli."

"It's not ta fire us?" Meowth turned to the Pokémon.

"Deli, deli delili deli!" Delibird told the Scratchcat.

"It's fer a new mission?!" Meowth was flabbergasted. "Da Boss wants to give us our new mission in poison?"

"Delideli!" Delibird nodded.

"But we're really far away from the Boss's Base," James noted. "How are we going to get there to receive our personal orders?"

"Deli! Delili dedeli deli!" Delibird told Meowth.

"Deliboid says dat he'll take us to da Boss," Meowth translated.

"Well, then lead the way, our fine feathered friend," James smiled to the Pokémon.

"Mime, mime!" Mime Jr. added, also smiling.

As the Rockets followed Delibird out of the town, May stood, stunned at having her friends taken away so quickly like that. The entire situation was too much for the pink Pokémon in her arms, however, and the baby Pokémon just began to bawl. May, knowing that responsibility for this little one was her own, now, began rushing past the crowd, looking for the Pokémon Center. Luckily for May, the Center wasn't much further into the town, its door facing the main, dusty road that ran through the town. The coordinator bolted inside, the crying Pokémon's voice quickly filling the quiet center. A nervous Nurse Joy leapt up and ran around the counter, quickly rushing over to May and the small Pokémon. "What's wrong with her?" Joy asked May over the Pokémon's crying.

"I think she's upset over the scene we just went though in town," May said, rocking the Pokémon. It seemed to calm the upset baby, but she continued to whimper. "Maybe she's hungry. It's been a while since she's been fed. Do you have any baby food?"

Joy ran into the back room as the Center's Chansey began running around in a panic, trying to figure out what she could do to stop the crying. The Pokémon Nurse quickly returned from the back with a bottle. She handed it to May, who began feeding the small Pokémon. The baby quickly wrapped her mouth around the end of the bottle and began suckling on it.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," May sighed, falling backwards onto a bench that sat close to the entrance. Pikachu slipped down from May's shoulder to an open spot next to her.

"It's quite alright," the nurse smiled. "I haven't seen you around here, though. Where are you from?"

"It's a long story," May sighed.

"We rarely ever get visitors here on Three Island," Joy took a seat next to May. Why don't you tell me your story?"

* * *

"And get in there, ya Kanto trash!" a muscular man tossed Ash into his cell. The trainer slid across the flat, tiled floor on his face.

Brock sat up and rubbed his wrists as the bars of the cell were shut behind Ash. "Well, let's look at it this way," Brock mused. "It could be worse."

"The only way it could be worse is if May was stuck in here with us," Ash groaned, rubbing his face. "Why won't they talk to us? All they do is point out that we're from Kanto and use that to justify beating us up."

"That is strange," Brock thought. "What would cause an entire island to be so prejudice against an entire region?"

* * *

"It's because of the things that have been happening recently on the island," Joy responded to May's question (that was, oddly, much like Brock's).

"What kinda stuff's been happening?" May tilted her head quizzically.

"Strange people have been going in an out of the forest at night for the past few days," Joy warned her. "Someone recognized one of them as a big celebrity from Kanto. Something called a Frontier Brain."

"A Frontier Brain's in the forest?!" May leaped up, a look of fear across her face.

"It's only a rumor!" Joy tried to calm her down. "And besides, it's more than just people from Kanto being here. The Kanto region is known for its rather bad pollution problems. The people on this island are all really defensive about the environment, which means they really don't like the pollution that goes on in Kanto, and they really don't like the people that they see as causing it."

"They've got a lot of reasons for not liking people from Kanto, don't they?" May sighed.

"Pika…" the Pokémon shared her grief.

"So your friends are being held, and you have to duel the sheriff to save them?" Joy summarized as she stood up.

"Yeah, that's right," May said.

"And the only reason you ended up coming here is because you say that one of my relatives is in the forest?" Joy also deduced.

"How did you know that? I only told you her name," May asked back.

Joy gave May a grin. "I read a lot of detective novels, so I was just able to put the pieces together."

"Really?" May asked, her eyes widening.

"That, and also I knew that my sister who works at the Pokémon Center on Two Island was expecting her to visit yesterday," she chuckled. "There may be a lot of us Joys, but we're certainly a close-knit family that looks after each other. And that includes are nieces, like Cyndi."

"Oh, yeah," May thought out loud. "I forgot that Cyndi's related to all of you."

"Well, I can help you get ready for the battle, then," Joy smiled to May. "I know what Pokémon the sheriff is likely to use, and we can work on a counter strategy."

"Really?" May smiled. "You'll help?"

"Anything for my family," Joy grinned. "Now, the sheriff…"

* * *

The sun was just starting to set over the trees that grew on the two islands. On one was a dense forest, completely covered in trees. A few Pokémon flew back into the forest, after a long day of searching for food among the islands. On the other island, mothers were calling their children inside from playing all day, warning them that their supper was getting cold.

Between the islands, connecting them was a single, wooden bridge. The bridge was only a few feet above the water, meaning that falling off the bridge wasn't a serious danger.

On the side of the bridge that was connected to the forest, a group of men stood behind their leader, the town sheriff. To the side of the group, in a prime position to watch the coming battle, sat Ash and Brock. The duo was tied together with an itchy rope. Their arms and legs bound together, escape was impossible. They could only watch the battle.

On the opposite side, standing rather alone, was May. She straightened her bandana while remembering what it meant to her. "Are you ready, sheriff?" May called out, taking a step forward.

"I'm plenty ready," he snorted back. "Now let me explain the rules. We both choose one Pokémon, and then they both go to the center of the bridge. They then take 10 steps away from each other, turn around, and launch an attack. Whichever Pokémon left standing is the winner."

"One hit to finish a battle?" Brock gasped. "His Pokémon is probably really powerful."

"Stay on your guard, May!" Ash called out. "His Pokémon is probably really powerful."

"Way to say exactly what I said, Ash," Brock sighed.

"Well, you're always givin' me advice, so I guess my advice sounds like yours sometimes," Ash said, shrugging.

"Alright, little lady, choose your Pokémon!" the sheriff called out to her.

"Munchlax," May called out, tossing the Pokéball into the air, "take the stage!"

The ball snapped open, and May's powerful Normal Type stood on the bridge. "Munch," he huffed, trying to seem intimidating.

"Go, Dunsparce!" The sheriff chose his Pokémon.

The ball came open, and a Pokémon came out of the ball. The bulk of the Pokémon was yellow and rounded. His eyes appeared closed, and there was a tiny drill on his tail. Blue stripes crossed his back. Blue also circle his eyes and was the only color on his underside.

May flipped open her Pokédex to get a look at the creature. It whirred for only a second, before a picture of what was before her appeared on the screen. "Dunsparce," the Pokédex began dictating. "The Land Snake Pokémon. It's drill-tipped tail is used to burrow into the ground backwards. This Pokémon is known to make its nest in complex shapes deep underground.

"Dun…" he lazily yawned.

"That doesn't look that tough," May smiled. "Munchlax, approach the center of the bridge."

"You, too, Dunsparce," the sheriff commanded.

Munchlax and Dunsparce both approached the center of the wooden bridge. Despite being wooden, it was very stable. Wooden supports as opposed to rope supports helped in this respect.

Dunsparce and Munchlax faced each other at the center. The sheriff's Pokémon simply yawned when Munchlax snorted at him, feeling superior. The Pokémon turned around, and then began marking off their paces.

"One, two, three…" Ash and Brock began counting out loud.

"Pikaka…" Pikachu whispered from her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Pikachu," May whispered back, "I remember what Joy told me."

"_The sheriff's Pokémon always starts off with a Glare Attack," Joy said as May fed not only the baby Pokémon, but the rest of her Pokémon, and Pikachu as well. _

"_Glare attack?" May blinked. "What's that?"_

"_A Glare is a move that paralyzes the target without having to make contact," Joy explained. "The Glaring Pokémon looks into the eyes of the target, paralyzing it with fear."_

"_That sounds scary," May said, continuing to hold the baby. "Is there anything I can do?"_

_Joy nodded. "As long as your Pokémon closes its eyes before they see the Glare, they'll be completely unaffected."_

"Eight, nine, ten!" The sheriff broke May out of her flashback.

"Munchlax, shut your eyes as you turn around!" May called.

Munchlax obeyed his trainer's orders. True to Joy's word, the sheriff's Dunsparce's eyes began glowing yellow. Munchlax, however, didn't see the move, and remained unaffected.

"You li'l brat!" the sheriff jumped. "Who in tarnation told you about my strategy?"

"It doesn't matter," May grinned, "cuz I've countered it! Munchlax, fire back with Metronome!" At his trainer's command, Munchlax began wiggling his fingers back and forth, to trigger an unpredictable move.

"So that's how the sheriff would win," Brock said. "He would paralyze his opponents and then knock them off the bridge, where the trainer would have to recall them."

"We won't lose to this girl," the sheriff called out, his pride on the line. "Dunsparce, Take Down!"

Dunsparce leapt forward, streaks flying from him at the intense speed of his charge.

Munchlax snapped his fingers and let off a glow. After the glow passed, Munchlax began clapping. Dunsparce continued leaping, and crashed right into Munchlax. The collusion of Normal-Types created a loud crunch that echoed over the quiet crowd. Munchlax fell backwards and Dunsparce continued rolling over it. Munchlax stood up and with opened eyes, grinned at Dunsparce.

"Now that's he's opened his eyes, Dunsparce!" The sheriff smiled. "Use Glare!"

As if ignoring his trainer's command, Dunsparce continued to leap continuously at Munchlax. This time the Big Eater Pokémon sidestepped the attack, and Dunsparce leapt into the water.

"What's wrong with Dunsparce?" May asked, surprised what was happening.

"Munchlax used Encore," Joy said, stepping up behind the girl. "Dunsparce can only use Take Down for right now."

"C'mon May!" Ash called to her. "You can beat him now that he's trapped!"

Dunsparce floated over the water, flapping his small, underdeveloped wings as he tried to climb back on the bridge. "Munchlax, knock him back with Focus Punch!" May called. Munchlax held a clinched fist into the air, allowing an aura to envelop it. As Dunsparce began launching another Take Down attack, Munchlax brought his fist into the Pokémon's face, knocking him back into the water. Dunsparce skipped over the water like a well rounded stone. When he stopped skipping, he floated on his back, his eyes dazed out.

"Dunsparce!" the sheriff called. "Speak to me!"

"Your Dunsparce is no longer able to battle," Joy smiled. "You need to let him rest."

"That means I'm the winner," May grinned. The baby Pokémon in her arms also let out a cheer.

* * *

"I'll keep to my word," the sheriff sighed. The sun was almost completely over the horizon. Ash, May, and Brock all stood on the ground, off the Berry Forest side of the bridge. "Ya'll 're free to go. I'm sorry we had such a misunderstanding. Ya understand now, right?"

Ash furrowed his brow. "I guess. But this should teach you that not everyone from Kanto is a bad guy. Everywhere has their share of bad people."

"We'll take that lesson to heart, pardner," the sheriff smiled. "And you there, lil' lady," he said, turning to May. "That was a great battle. I reckon that if'n you wanted to be a deputy, I could arrange fer that."

May giggled. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm planning on becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Coordinator, so I'll have to decline."

"Fair enough," the sheriff also laughed. "We'll be cheering for ya from here on Three Island."

The group said their goodbyes to the townsfolk and headed into the forest. Cyndi was still in there, apparently, and it was getting late. They had to hurry if they were going to find the girl in time.

* * *

**Next time, our heroes are going to be in the Berry Forest! I hope they can find Cyndi before something terrible happens to her. And it's already getting dark! They have to hurry! Untill next time, Everyone, get some Pokémon!**


	12. Sword and Skarmory

**Did you all have a good Valentine's Day, if you celebrated it? Otherwise, did you all have a good week? I hope so. Chapter 12 is here, and lotsa stuff happens! Please feel free to review this chapter if you have the time.**

* * *

It was dark; there was no question about that.

Although normally, such a place would be noisy with the sounds of Pokémon, it was quiet. Darkness had settled on the Berry Forest and the resident Pokémon had all gone to sleep.

"Do you hear anything, Pikachu?" Ash asked his companion.

The electric mouse Pokémon had missed and worried over Ash during their separation earlier in the day. Now, he was alright. Pikachu closed his eyes and twitched his ears, listening for the sounds of any Pokémon or people that may still be in the forest. Sadly, Pikachu lowered his ears and let put a sigh. "Pika pika, Pikapi."

"Let's head in a bit further," Brock suggested. "If Cyndi was picking berries, she may have gotten lost further in."

"Alright," May agreed. She looked back down into her arms. She hadn't carried around a Pokémon outside its ball for this long since her Eevee was still just an Egg. The happy Normal type just turned to her and chirped happily.

Ash and his friends trudged further into the dark woods. The further they went in, the more frightened that May got. And the more frightened that May got, the closer she hovered to Ash.

"Pika!" the Pokémon snorted, in a half-laugh.

May turned her head, and saw that her bangs were tickling Pikachu along his back. "Oops," May grinned, "sorry Pikachu. I didn't know I was that close."

"You have been getting closer and closer, May" Ash said. "Are you alright?"

"It's just a bit scary," May smiled, hiding her fear from him. "I'm alright as long as you're here."

Ash smiled back. "Alright. If you need to hold my hand, it's here."

"Thanks," she looked down at his hand. Wrapping one of her arms around the baby Pokémon, she was able to free her other one, and interlink her fingers with Ash's.

As the couple smiled at each other as they held hands, Pikachu began to panic. "What's up, buddy?" Ash asked his partner.

Pikachu pointed to the baby Pokémon. Specifically, how she was struggling to get out of May's arms. May was taken by surprise and dropped the Pokémon. The pink Pokémon darted off into the bushes, dashing away from Ash and his friends.

"What's gotten into her?" May asked.

"I dunno," Ash said, "but we've gotta follow her!"

Ash and his friends ran after her, trying to follow her tracks as closely as possible. "She's just a baby," May whimpered, worried about the Pokémon. "And I was the one looking after her. Why didn't I keep a better grip on her?"

"It's alright, May," Ash said as they ran, "I think that Pokémon is trying to show us something."

"You mean, you think her trainer is in these woods?" Brock said, surprised.

"That, or there's something else in the forest that she really wants to show us," Ash said.

The group came to a clearing, and the baby Pokémon was nowhere in sight. "Which way could she have gone," Ash said through clenched teeth.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu pointed to a gap in the brush between two trees.

"Is that the way?" he asked. Pikachu nodded. "Alright, then let's go."

As they continued to trail the baby Pokémon, they saw a faint glow coming from the direction she ran. "Is that a campfire?" Brock asked as they continued in that direction. From the distance, they saw the Pokémon leap out of the bushes and stand in front of the campfire.

"She's stopped!" May cried out. "We can catch up with her!"

The group stepped out of the brush near the campfire, all three standing behind the baby Pokémon.

Over on the other side of the fire, coming to her feet, was a girl. Her blue hair was braided into ponytails that fell along her back. Her blue eyes appeared dim, but her facial features were otherwise exactly like her family. She wore a green tee-shirt and a denim skirt, with straps that went over her shoulders. Her dim, almost plastic looking eyes looked up at Ash, staring at him.

"Cyndi…" Ash raised an eyebrow. "Is that you?"

"Yes," the girl responded, robotically. "I am Cyndi. And now we will battle."

"Battle?" Ash took a step back. "Why?"

"We will battle." She said, her finger pointed to Ash. "Choose your Pokémon." The girl's gaze was fixed on the trainer, but her eyes didn't seem to focus on him.

"Cyndi, you haven't said why we're battling!" Ash exclaimed.

"Choose your Pokémon," she repeated.

"Something's wrong with her," May whispered. "She's not acting like herself." The baby Pokémon at May's feet chirped sadly.

"What, do you mean something's wrong with her?" Ash asked, leaning back.

"Look at her eyes," May pointed out. "They've got no emotion in them whatsoever. Definitely not the same as the girl we met in Cerulean."

"I will give you twenty more seconds," Cyndi said, devoid of feeling. "Then I will attack anyway.

"What can we do?" Brock broke into the conversation. "It's almost like she's in a trance. Like she's being controlled or something."

"We'll have to get through to her," Ash whispered back.

"But how?" May responded. "What do we have that could snap Cyndi out of this trance?"

"I got something," Ash grinned. He reached down at his belt and then swung his arm forward. "Sceptile, I choose you!" Ash's arm swung, however no Pokéball came from his grip. "Oh, I forgot!" Ash exclaimed. "We left Sceptile and Blaziken training with Doris."

"Then I choose Skarmory," Cyndi lobbed a Pokéball into the air. The ball snapped open, and an avian Pokémon that appeared to be made out of steel appeared. "Skarmory, Drill Peck Sceptile."

The Armor Bird Pokémon began diving at Ash and his friends. "Pikachu, intercept with Iron Tail!" the trainer called out. Pikachu leapt up and swung his shining tail at Skarmory's beak. Pikachu knocked Skarmory back with his tail, and the Flying Pokémon landed obediently at Cyndi's feet.

"Skarmory, trap Sceptile with Spikes," she continued attacking the Pokémon that wasn't there.

"Can't she see that Sceptile isn't here?" May asked.

Skarmory spread her wings, and small spikes that looked almost like jacks spread across the forest floor. For Sceptile, it would have been tough to maneuver about with the spikes all over the field. However, Pikachu's smaller stature meant that the spikes weren't as much of a threat.

"Pikachu, ground her Skarmory with Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.

"Pii-ka-chu!" Pikachu cried, leaping into the air. A large arc of electricity shot from Pikachu's short body, into the Steel-and-Flying type. Skarmory's weakness to electric moves, as well as her age, caught up to her, and the Pokémon collapsed backwards next to her trainer.

"Skarmory, use Steel Wing," Cyndi continued issuing commands to an unconscious Pokémon.

"Cyndi," Ash shouted, "Skarmory's no longer able to battle!"

"Use Whirlwind," she continued monotonously.

"What's wrong with her?" May quivered behind Ash. "It's like she's a zombie or something."

Brock stepped over to the small girl who simply continued to command a Whirlwind attack as if she was a broken record. He snapped his fingers in front of her eyes, but they didn't seem to be focused on anything. "It's like the lights are on, but no one's home," he said to the others.

The small Pokémon hobbled around the fire and took a look at Cyndi. As she chirped quietly, Cyndi's eyes seemed to turn towards the baby Pokémon. "H…Happini?" Cyndi began to say, stopping her monotonous repeating of her command. The girl's eyes slid shut and she began falling forward towards the fire. Brock, having been nearby trying to get her attention, caught her and picked her up.

"Is she okay, Brock?" Ash asked his friend as he and May stepped closer.

"I don't know," Brock grunted. "Let's get her to the Pokémon Center. I'm sure they have a bed there we can let her rest in."

"That's a good idea," Ash smiled.

"Maybe when she comes to, she'll be able to tell us what was going on," May said to the boys.

"Better not forget her," Ash said, taking the Pokéball from Cyndi's loose grip and using it to recall Skarmory.

The group began backtracking, with Brock carrying Cyndi on his back. Ash carried Brock's pack in his arms, to allow the girl a place to lie until they got to the Pokémon Center. "As long as we follow our steps," Brock said, "we should be able to make it right back to the center."

Pikachu, who had been relaxing on his buddy's shoulder suddenly became very active. He leapt from Ash's shoulder and dashed into the brush.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out. "Where are you going?" He dropped Brock's bag to the ground and began chasing his friend into the woods.

"Wait, Ash!" May tried to stop him, shouting while carrying the baby Pokémon in her arms. The baby looked to Cyndi over May's shoulder and chirped sadly.

"We better follow him," Brock said. "Can you get my bag?"

"I'll try," May said. She dropped the Baby to the ground for a second, and slipped Brock's bag onto her back, quickly snatching up the Pokémon before she could run away again.

With Brock and May began playing catch up, chasing Ash through the dark woods, the trainer himself continued to follow Pikachu through the forest. "What're you trying to show me, pal?" Ash called out to his first Pokémon.

Pikachu leapt into a clearing, and pointed to a tree in the middle. Ash jumped over the bushes and landed in front of his Pokémon.

A body was lying at the base of the tree. The person had short hair and wore a long sleeved shirt and long pants. That was the best Ash could see, however, because of the darkness.

"This guy needs our help, don't they?" Ash asked.

"Kaka…" Pikachu sighed, looking at the person.

Ash stepped around and picked up the person onto his back. The person's head fell over Ash's shoulder, and the scent of flowers drifted from the hair into his nose. Not taking the time to investigate further, Ash began carrying this person back towards where he left his friends. Pikachu simply walked along side Ash, his place being taken by the person he was carrying. Ash handed the Pokémon his pack, which Pikachu carried to the best of his ability.

Ash quickly met back up with Brock and May. "Where did you run of to?" May asked, slightly worried. "I didn't know what was going on."

"Pikachu found someone in the woods," Ash said. "They seem like they're in bad shape."

"Pika…" the Pokémon added.

"Well, we've all got our hands full," Brock said. "Why don't we head to the Pokémon Center before we try to figure out just what's going on?"

"Good idea," Ash nodded. "Let's go."

As the group rushed back through the forest, Ash thought he could feel the person on his back moving slightly, and felt their arms wrap around his chest. He thought that maybe the person was coming to, so he called out to Brock and May. "Hey, I think they're waking up!" Ash shouted.

"That's great," May smiled until she got a better look at Ash. She saw the arms of the stranger wrapped around him and felt herself flush with anger. She stepped closer to her boyfriend and took a close look at the face of the individual that he had rescued.

"Something wrong, May?" Ash asked, blinking obliviously.

"I dunno," May narrowed her gaze at the person and puffed out her cheeks. "This person seems familiar some how. Call it woman's intuition."

"Less talk, more walk, please?" Brock asked the couple. "She's starting to drool on me."

Ash and May laughed as the continued their trek out of the forest. May's laugher stopped short, however. _I know I've seen that person before_, she thought to herself.

The group stepped out of the forest and began dashing across the Bond Bridge. Luckily, the Pokémon Center on Three Island wasn't very difficult to find and they all rushed inside. Pikachu collapsed on the floor, extremely fatigued, having to have carried Ash's pack for him.

"Nurse Joy," May called out, "we need your help!"

"What's the problem?" the nurse stepped out from behind the counter. Immediately, she saw Cyndi and the lavender haired person, both of them being carried. "My goodness, are they alright?" she asked.

"I think that they both need a bed to sleep in," Brock said. "We found them both in the woods."

"We have plenty of open rooms," Joy motioned them into the halls. "Come with me."

She led them into the first room on the right. Chansey had set up two stretchers, setting a pillow delicately where the heads of the unconscious persons would go. Brock turned around and dropped Cyndi gently onto the bed. The girl seemed to be sleeping, drool sliding down her mouth. A smile had grown on her face, replacing the emotionless expression they had seen when they encountered their friend.

Ash dropped his traveler onto the bed and turned around. May was already gasping and holding her mouth.

The person in the bed was immediately familiar to Ash. Her short lavender haircut, in combination with her small chest size had made the trainer's entire party misidentify her as a boy in their first encounter. Long lavender pants and a long sleeved shirt that matched the pants with a lighter hue covered her body.

"Anabel?" Ash stepped back, his eyes widening. "The Salon Maiden?"

As opposed to Cyndi's blissfulness, the fallen Frontier Brain's expression was a strained one. Her eyes clinched shut and her breathing was heavy. Her arms fell to her sides.

"If she has a title like that, she must be the Frontier Brain that the townsfolk were talking about," Joy noted as Chansey placed a cool cloth on Anabel's forehead. "How do you all know her?"

"It's a long story," May tried to brush off the conversation.

"One that I'd be happy to talk to you about over dinner!" Brock began glowing in hopes of getting somewhere with this Joy. The baby Pokémon turned and glared at Brock. She leapt from May's arms and smacked him backwards with her ponytail.

As Brock began checking to see if the baby Pokémon gave him a bloody nose, Ash began speaking. "I wonder what she was doing in the woods?" Ash asked out loud, Pikachu chiming in behind him.

_This is suspicious,_ May thought to herself. _If she was making a recovery while Ash carried her, then why does she seem too weak, here? This smells fishy. The Brains are way too suspicious, especially with the disappearing and reappearing they tend to do. And now I'm supposed to believe that Anabel just appears in the woods with a missing girl?_

While May was deep in thought, the baby Pokémon jumped up towards the stretcher that Cyndi was laying on. She grapped the edge with her small hands and managed to scramble up the side. "This Pokémon seems like she knows Cyndi," Brock noted, rubbing his throbbing nose.

"Do ya think it may be Cyndi's Pokémon?" Ash asked Brock.

"That's a possibility," Brock said. "It may be why the Pokémon ran off. It must have sensed her presence."

"Then why does the Pokémon trust us?" May asked, taking her mind off of Anabel for a moment. "It's never seen us before."

Brock sighed. "That's something we'll have to ask Cyndi tomorrow morning."

May's train of thought began picking up where it left off. "Hey, Ash," May tugged on his arm, "Something doesn't seem right about Anabel. In the woods, you said that she seemed to be coming to, and now it looks like she's been worn out, even though she's asleep."

"That does seem odd," Ash looked back at the lavender-haired maiden. "I wonder why she wrapped her arms around me like that?"

May flushed and turned up her nose. "Well, maybe no one told her that we're a couple," she snorted. "That's gotta be the first thing we tell her when she wakes up."

"I think your priorities are a bit skewed, May," Brock responded. "She's a Frontier Brain, remember? We need to see if she knows anything about what's going on."

"I guess you're right," May sighed. "But still, I don't trust her."

"Why not?" Ash asked, tilting his head to the side. "She hasn't done anything for us to get suspicious over."

"But she's a Frontier Brain!" May exclaimed. "You remember when Tucker tried to get us killed, don't you? She's in the same group. And are we supposed to believe it's just a coincidence that Anabel appeared in the forest with Cyndi, who had been missing?"

"All the more reason for us to ask her what's going on instead of jumping to conclusions," Brock interjected. "She might know what the other Brains are up to and she may be willing to tell us."

"Why would she tell us?" May asked the breeder. "If she wants to keep us in the dark, then she will."

Brock raised an eyebrow. "You seem to be getting on her case quite a bit, May, and we haven't even heard her say anything. What's up?"

"Nothing's up," May defended herself. "I just don't want to be fooled again, like when Tucker attacked us!"

"May, try to calm down," Ash put his hand on her shoulder. "Before we go jumping to conclusions, we should hear what Anabel has to say. You never know, she may have been trying to help Cyndi."

"I doubt it," May huffed, "and even if she says she was trying to help, I bet she'd lie. We'll have to listen to Cyndi, too."

Ash put his hands on his hips and tilted his head to the side. "May, you're usually the one who sees the good things in people first. Why are you trying to make Anabel look bad before we know anything?"

May blushed and her eyebrows began twitching nervously. "I-uh, I'm going for a walk!" she shouted, turning to the door. "I-uh, I'm gonna leave my Pokémon on the counter, 'kay Joy?" she asked, her face hidden from their view.

"Uh, sure?" Joy blinked, curiously.

May audibly gulped and stepped through the door, closing it gently behind her.

Ash, Brock, and Joy stood in silence for a moment until Brock elbowed Ash in the side.

"Ash, you should go talk to May," Brock grunted through clenched teeth. "She needs to talk to you."

"R-right," Ash coughed as he caught his breath. "Let's go, Pikachu."

"Pika…" the Mouse Pokémon stumbled. He fell to the ground, fatigued.

"Are you alright, Pikachu?" Ash turned to him.

"I bet he's tired from carrying your pack, Ash," Joy said, picking him up. "I'll take good care of him until you get back, okay?"

"Okay, thanks Nurse Joy," Ash smiled.

After Ash left the room, Brock's face lit up and he turned to the Pokémon nurse. "Now, where were we before the children interrupted.

Joy smiled hesitantly. "You were lost in the woods?" she asked.

Pikachu, though fatigued, began sparking his cheeks, warning the breeder that this was neither the place nor time.

* * *

May sat in front of the Pokémon Center, in the dirt on the ground. There was no grass growing around the center in the dusty town, so she had to make due with what was there. The sky was clear, and since they were so far away from a big city, all the stars of the sky were visible to the coordinator from Hoenn. She sat with her hands on her knees, her back leaning against the front wall of the center. She wasn't a girl for violent outbursts, but she had so little experience feeling the way she did now.

May wasn't used to feeling jealous. She had nothing to be jealous of at home. She was the beautiful daughter of the powerful Norman, Petalburg Gym Leader. All of the other children wanted to be her, or her little brother. Although she had been a sort of 'black sheep' in her family (due to her past distaste of Pokémon), she has come into her own as an aspiring coordinator, a rising star in the world. During her journey, she encountered harsh rivals, powerful opponents, and tough competition. Although she had faltered from time to time, she was able to make the best eight in only her second Grand Festival. On top of that, she met some of her closest friends on her journey, and even found love in the eyes of the 'unconquerable' (as Misty described him during one phone conversation after the misadventure they had in Cerulean) Ash Ketchum. They were in love, and May felt like the happiest girl in the world.

Well, she did. Now she felt like something inside of her is chewing at her heart and stomach. "It's that Anabel…" May thought out loud. She closed her eyes and remembered the day that she and her friends had met her. Anabel and Ash hit it off right from the start, seemingly even faster than she and Ash had become friends. Anabel also had a gift. She could understand what Pokémon say. Something that Ash could do as well, if only with Pikachu. But she could also talk to them back with her mind. Not even Ash could do that. _I remember when we met Anabel. We were on our way to the Battle Tower, and we ran into her in the woods nearby. We all thought she was a boy, but when she had us over, we learned her true gender. Then, we rushed off to the Battle Tower, and she later appeared before us. She defeated Ash that evening, and the next day, she was hanging out with us, and practically all over him. I wasn't too jealous back then, but I guess her wrapping her arms around him made it all come back to memory._

"Hey, May?" Ash said, looking down at her as he stepped out of the doorway. "What's up?"

"Nothing," she faked a smiled. She looked over at his bare shoulder. "Where's Pikachu?"

"Are you kidding?" Ash joked. "After I forced him to carry my pack, Pikachu could barely move. He's in there resting with the rest of our Pokémon."

May turned back to her knees as she pulled them into herself. "I guess I'm not really okay."

"What was up in there?" Ash sat down next to her. "I've never seen you act like that."

"I guess that's because I've never been jealous before," she bent her head down to her knees.

"What do you have to be jealous over Anabel over?" Ash asked, turning his upper body towards her.

May leaned her head on his shoulder. "I remember when you two met, and you seemed to hit it off really well. I was kinda jealous of her, I guess. I mean, in a "you befriended my friend faster than I did" kinda way." Ash nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "But when she was wrapping her arms around you, and we saw her in the center… I guess it all just came back. And this time, I got really jealous. I guess I'm afraid that she'll make you love her more than you love me."

"May, you know that'll never happen, right?" Ash whispered into her hair.

"I guess," she sighed. "But I need to hear it every now and then."

"Well, here goes, then," Ash smiled. "I love you, May. No one could ever replace you, regardless of what special gifts they have. You're special to me, just the way you are."

"Wow, did you think that up all by yourself?" May turned her head and smiled, her eyes half shut.

Ash grinned back. "Well, I may have got some of it from TV. And Misty may have helped a bit."

May rolled her eyes at Ash. The coordinator placed her hands on the sides of his face and puckered her lips. Ash followed her lead and closed his eyes. May brought their lips together as she closed her eyes. Her heart fluttered as Ash moved his other arm around her and pulled her in tighter. May wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging and breaking the kiss. She set her forehead onto his shoulder and continued to take in deep breaths. Her arms fell so that her palms were flat against his chest.

And there they stayed for, to them at least, a long time.

Finally, Ash spoke. "Let's go inside, okay, May?" he whispered.

She nodded. Ash stood and helped May to her feet. "I'm really hungry, now," Ash joked as he took May by the hand. "Let's go see if there's anything good to eat in the cafeteria."

"And even if there isn't," May nudged him, "we'll be fine. Because as long as I'm with you, Ash Ketchum, I'll always have what I need."

"And I thought I was cheesy," Ash joked to her.

"Well, you're going to be cheesed off when I get to the cafeteria first and get all the good food," May laughed, letting go of Ash's hand and running ahead into the center and down the halls.

"Hey, wait!" Ash called, chuckling mixed into his speech. "You better not take it all! Your boyfriend needs to eat, too!"

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. And I hope you spend sometime this week with someone you love!**

**Until next time, Everyone, get Pokémon!**


	13. Happiny Days!

**Chapter 13 is here! It's a chapter that heavily focuses on Cyndi. We also learn a bit about that new Pokémon! And of course, Ash, May, Pikachu, and Brock are all here, too. Let's start the new chapter!**

* * *

_Cyndi continued walking through a dark forest. There was a clear path ahead of her, but there was no sun, no stars, no light sources whatsoever. The girl plodded ahead on the dark trail._

"_Where am I?" she asked herself. "Where am I going?"_

_Looking up, she saw a small, round object running ahead of her._

"_Happiny?" she blinked. She began running after it. "Happiny, come back!"_

_Cyndi ran through the forest along the path that Happiny was following. "Happiny, slow down!" she called to it. The object she was chasing disappeared from her view. "Happiny!" she shouted, trying to get the creature to turn back._

_Cyndi then tripped over a large root sticking out of the ground on the path. She felt her knee scrape against the ground. She tried to stand up and continue running, but the root had tied itself around her foot and was lifting her into the air._

"_Where do you think you're going, little girl?" the tree taunted her. "You belong to me, now."_

"_No, I don't!" Cyndi struggled against the tree's grasp. She even began kicking the root that tied her foot with her free leg, but nothing seemed to even make the tree flinch._

"_You're going to do what I say, now," the tree continued. "No one is here to save you. Why not just obey me?"_

"_No, you're wrong!" Cyndi called out. "Aunt Joy, Skarmory, Mom and Dad will all come looking for me! You'd better let me go or you'll be sorry!"_

"_I'll be sorry?" the tree laughed. "Your Aunt has been disposed of already, your mother and father are too far away, and that Pokémon of theirs is in no condition to battle." The tree's trunk turned up, as if grinning wildly. "You have no one else to turn to."_

_On the verge of tears, Cyndi clasp her hands together and closed her eyes. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death," she said in a hushed voice, "I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and staff, they comfort me."_

_The tree began shaking Cyndi wildly, and started to groan. "Stop that!" the tree commanded._

_Cyndi took in a deep breath. She calmly continued speaking. "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." Cyndi began emitting a light from her body. The tree dropped Cyndi and began retracting its vines into the ground. "Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life," the girl recited as a pair of strong arms caught the girl and gently set her down on the forest floor, on her knees. "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever."_

* * *

Ash had dozed off on a bench outside of the room Cyndi and Anabel were sleeping in. His back was straight against the wall, his head bent over, facing his chest. Pikachu had curled up in his lap and was also sleeping peacefully. Leaning on his shoulder and taking up most of the bench was May, who smiled cutely, curled up on the bench beside Ash.

Brock, considering himself an ordinary person, slept in a bed across the hall.

Pikachu's ears twitched as he picked up some noises in the room where Cyndi and Anabel were. Being careful not to awaken Ash, he slipped quietly out of his friend's lap onto the floor. Looking up, it seemed to be in the nick of time, as May fell from Ash's shoulder, her head now laying face up in his lap. Letting out a sigh of relief for getting out of a situation, he quietly stepped over to the door and nudged it open.

Pikachu stepped inside and investigated the source of the noise. It seemed that the baby Pokémon was whimpering as she tugged at one of Cyndi's legs. Pikachu leapt onto the bed beside Cyndi, and saw her face cringing, as if the girl was having a nightmare. Pikachu tried to explain this to the smaller Pokémon, but she would have none of it. She continued to whimper and tug at the girl, wanting a response.

Cyndi let out a yawn and sat up in the dark room. She looked down at her feet and saw the two Pokémon there looking back at her. Immediately she reached for the small, baby Pokémon and took her into her arms. "Happiny!" she called out in the full speaking volume of her voice. "You're okay! I was so worried about you!"

Pikachu sighed and began slipping off the bed to return to Ash. "Hey, wait," Cyndi spoke to the Pokémon, still not trying to be quiet, "Pikachu? What's a Pikachu doing in here?"

Pikachu knew how fanatic this girl could get around Ash or his Pokémon, so Pikachu quietly began slipping out of the room, stepping backwards as to disarm the situation. He ran his back into Ash's leg as the trainer flipped on the light switch. "Pikachu," Ash asked, picking him up, "watcha doin' in here?"

"Ash?" Cyndi blinked before rubbing her eyes. "Is it really you?"

"Yeah," Ash smiled, "I'm glad to see that you're feeling better."

"I'm glad **to be** feeling better, but what happened to me?" Cyndi furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't remember ending up in bed at the Pokémon Center as the last thing to happen to me."

"Well, before you go tellin' your story," Ash laughed, "why don't we all go have breakfast. May an' everyone else already went down to the cafeteria. I just came inside to in to check on you two, and to try to find Pikachu." Ash blinked for a moment as the two stood in silence. "Um, aren't you supposed to be all up over here, excited to see your idol again?"

Cyndi brushed her hair back. "Well, I guess," she said. "But I guess I'm just more mature now or something," she shrugged. Then a wry grin spread across her lips. "That, and Mom got on my case about doing that when you guys weren't around to hear."

Ash let out a laugh. "C'mon. I'm sure everyone wants to see you."

"Right," Cyndi nodded. She looked over and took the baby Pokémon into her arms. As she slid off the bed, her eyes looked over to the occupant of the adjacent bed. Her eyes widened, and she nearly dropped her Pokémon.

"Cyndi, are you coming?" Ash asked back, already heading down the hall.

"I'm comin'," she grunted behind clenched teeth. She looked over to the sleeping Brain on her way out, making a note to tell her friends about what happened.

Ash waited for Cyndi at the end of the hall, so they both could take a left. The two walked past the Pokémon Center's counter down another hall from the lobby. As they got closer, Brock's voice calling out to all of the Pokémon could be heard over everyone else's. Cyndi ran ahead of the walking trainer and jumped into the room. She quickly turned her gaze to all of the happily eating Pokémon. Her mother's Skarmory pecked at her food alone, making sure to keep one of her sharp eyes on Munchlax, who had already finished his food in a single swallow and was looking for more food.

Eevee and Skitty called Pikachu over from Ash's shoulder when he stepped into the room. Pikachu seemed to stumble at first, but then shook off whatever caused him to do so. He greeted both Pokémon with a smile and a wave as he began to partake of the food in his bowl. He didn't notice the glares Eevee and Skitty shared behind his back.

Marshtomp sat over against the wall, by himself. He sighed, feeling lonely. He was the first to notice that Sceptile and Blaziken were missing after being let out. Forretress came over and tried to cheer up the Mudfish Pokémon, but the Water-and-Ground type only continued to sigh. Beautifly was the next to try to cheer up Marshtomp, but before she could put any plans into action, Muk came up from behind and gave Brock's Pokémon a gooey hug, startling everyone around.

Totodile and Cyndaquil shot glances at each other. Someone would tap each of them on the shoulder and steal a piece of food from their bowls. Totodile suspected Cyndaquil, while the Fire Mouse knew the Big Jaw Pokémon was the thief. Of course, Aipom and her extra hand were the true culprits, but neither of them knew.

After leaving the pink baby with the other the Pokémon, Cyndi ran over to the table were May was sitting by herself. Ash was still getting food from the cafeteria line, so Cyndi left him the place next to the coordinator and sat across from her instead.

"I'm glad to see that you're feeling better, Cyndi," May smiled, putting down her glass of orange juice.

Cyndi looked around the room and blinked a few times. "Uh, where are Max and Brock?"

May touched her index finger to her cheek. "Brock went outside, saying that he had something to do," she said. May then let out a sigh. "But Max is in Hoenn, training with my Dad to become a Pokémon Trainer."

May almost felt her heart break when she saw the look on the younger girl's face. "Oh," was all that Cyndi managed to say. Cyndi's heart sank far into her stomach, and her eyes gleamed with sadness.

"Oh, Cyndi, I'm sorry," May tried her best to cheer her up. "I wish Max was still here, too, but Dad wanted him to come home. It was completely out of my hands."

"It's okay," Cyndi forced a smile. "He wanted to become a trainer, right?"

"What's everyone so sad about?" Ash asked, placing his plate down next to May and taking his seat.

"We were talking about Max," May said. "Cyndi misses him a lot."

Cyndi blushed, but said nothing about it. "Where'd your hat go, Ash?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, I gave it to Max as a going away present," Ash laughed. Cyndi sighed. Nothing was going to let her get her mind off of Max.

Brock came back inside, smiling. "Hey, everyone," the breeder walked quickly over to the table. "I see that you're up and around, Cyndi," he smiled.

"Yeah, I am…" she whimpered, sliding down into her chair.

Brock slapped her on the back, making her jerk into an upright position. "Aww, don't be so glum, Cyndi. I'm sure that if you hang around with us long enough, we'll bump into Max eventually."

Cyndi, blushing, stood on her chair. "And who told you about that?!" she shouted.

"G'morning everyone."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at the doorway. Anabel blinked at this newfound attention. "I uh… I said "g'morning?" she smiled nervously.

As May began holding her tongue into place with her teeth, Cyndi began clutching her head. "Cyndi?" May stood up and stepped around the table, putting her hands on the small girl's shoulders. "What's wrong?"

The baby Pokémon ran over to the table, and began chirping sadly at Cyndi.

"My head…" she groaned. "It-it hurts."

"Maybe you weren't ready to get up yet," Brock said, standing up.

"I'll take her back to her room," May smiled, scooping the girl into her arms. "I won't be gone long."

"Thanks, May," Ash smiled to her as she left the room.

May smiled back and stepped out the door.

Anabel stood and watched, and after May left, quietly slipped into May's unoccupied seat. "I wonder what that was about?" Anabel asked, leaning her elbow on the table.

"We found the both of you in the woods last night," Brock said. "Maybe she's not feeling better yet."

"Well, I don't know about her, but I'm feeling better already," she smiled at Ash, the latter still chewing on some food. "Hey, it's been a while since we've seen each other, Ash," she began striking up a conversation with him. "What's been happening to you?"

Ash swallowed the food in his mouth. "Well, I recently defeated Brandon and-"

"-won the Battle Frontier?" Anabel giggled. "I've been keeping an eye on your achievements, Ash," she smiled, her cheeks flashing red for a moment. "I wanted to know how you were doing, personally."

"Oh," Ash blinked, dropping his fork back onto his plate. "Well, May and I have been getting closer, and we decided to become a couple about a month or two ago."

Now it was Anabel's turn to drop her jaw.

* * *

May set Cyndi on the bed the girl had occupied the night before. "Is you head still hurting?" May asked.

Cyndi tapped the sides of her head and blinked. "No. No, it's not."

"That's weird," May pursed her lips. "What's different that would make your head feel better?"

"It's that girl, I think," Cyndi said, sitting up.

"What?" May raised an eyebrow, confused.

"When I saw her, I felt like I was about to remember something, then when the girl looked at me, I felt like part of my brain just turned off." Cyndi tried to explain.

"That doesn't really make it any clearer," May said, blinking.

"Happi?" the small Pokémon chirped as she waddled into the room. The worried look on her face changed into a wide grin when she saw Cyndi. "Happi!" the baby Pokémon ran into the little girl's arms

"Happiny!" Cyndi smiled, coddling the baby Pokémon in her arms.

"'Happiny'?" May asked. "Is that what kind of Pokémon she is?"

Cyndi nodded. "She's a Happiny, a newly discovered Pokémon."

May cracked a grin. "That's exactly what the Pokédex says about her. And that there's no information."

"She's the preevolved form of Chansey," Cyndi said, holding her head up with pride.

"So this little one evolves into Chansey?" May tapped her on the belly, causing the Pokémon to giggle.

"That's right, and for her to evolve, she needs a certain stone," Cyndi smiled. Her eyes shot wide open, as if something had just clicked in her mind. "I've got it! I remember now!"

"What? What do you remember now?" May sat up from her slouched position.

"I was back on One Island, with my Aunt Joy," she began.

"Was this the same Aunt Joy we met in Cerulean City" May asked.

Cyndi raised an eyebrow. "What? No, no. All the Joy's are my aunts, remember? I don't know where that one even is, anymore. And don't interrupt. I'm telling my story."

* * *

"_Happiny!" Cyndi tossed the giggling Pokémon into the air while giggling herself. She caught the Pokémon in her arms and tossed her up again. "Upsy-daisy!" she laughed, tossing the small Pokémon again._

"_Cyndi!" The One Island Joy snapped from the desk. "What are you doing over there?"_

_Cyndi grabbed the Pokémon and stood still. "Whu-what is it, Auntie Joy?" she put on her best smile and turned around._

"_You shouldn't toss around a Pokémon like that! You might injure the poor thing," Joy walked over and snatched Happiny from the girl's hands. She quickly checked the Pokémon over for any bumps or bruises. "Honestly, I gave you this Pokémon so you could mature into a fine young woman."_

_Cyndi clenched her teeth shut. She hadn't let her language slip during this visit yet, and she knew that her aunt would swoop up the baby Pokémon she had given to her at the first sign of improper conduct._

_Joy dropped Happiny back into Cyndi's arms. "Honestly, if you don't stop acting like such a child, you'll have a hard time getting any boys to like you."_

_As images of Max shot like lightning through Cyndi's consciousness, Joy walked back to her desk and began helping the trainer who had just walked in._

If I act mature though,_ Cyndi thought,_ I'll get Max to like me._ She looked at the Pokémon in her arms. "You're just a kid, too, huh?" she asked Happiny. "Maybe if I can get you to grow up, then people will think I'm grown up too?" she asked the Normal-type._

"_Happi!" she smiled back at the girl._

_After waiting for a moment, Cyndi slid up to Nurse Joy and tugged on her skirt. "Aunt Joy," Cyndi tried to be as cute as possible, "how does Happiny evolve?"_

_Joy smiled sweetly down at her niece. "Happiny evolves by holding a special stone. It has to be round and shaped like an egg. After she holds onto the stone for a long enough period of time, she'll be ready to evolve into a Chansey."_

_Cyndi looked at the tiny Pokémon she held. "This becomes a Chansey?" she blinked._

_Joy nodded, smiling. "I know how much you want to be a Pokémon Nurse, so I was able to get you your own nurse aid a little early."_

"_Thanks," Cyndi smiled. _Although, _she thought, _I think I'd be better at making my own career choices._ She set Happiny behind the counter and began heading outside. "Aunt Joy, I'm gonna go to the Hot Springs, okay?" she called back._

"_Be back before dinner!" Joy called back as the girl ran down the door._

* * *

"You were in town the day Ash and I were?" May asked.

"I didn't know you two were in town," Cyndi furrowed her brow.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Joy said, leaning in, "but your friends are wondering what's taking so long for you to get back."

"Oh, right," May laughed. "We better go back."

May and Cyndi both stepped back down the hall into the lobby of the Center. Ash smiled to the two as they made their entrance. May smiled back, too, until she saw Anabel hanging too close. "Here's your Pokémon, May," Ash smiled, handing her the four Pokéballs.

"Thanks, _sweetie_," May accented, turning her eyes to Anabel.

"Don't worry, he told me," Anabel smiled uneasily, chuckling. "I know that you two are an item."

May was caught off guard. "S-Good," she raised an eyebrow. "Is that all you two talked about?"

"Yeah, I pretty much just told her about what happened in Cerulean that week," Ash smiled.

Anabel threw her arm over Ash's shoulders, knocking Pikachu to the ground. "Yeah, you know. Catching up between old friends."

May's skin tone turned noticeably redder when Anabel made her action.

"It _is_ her!" Cyndi shouted, pointing an accusing finger.

Ash, May, Anabel, and Brock all turned to Cyndi, surprise on their faces.

"I-uh guess I better finish my story then," Cyndi grinned sheepishly.

* * *

"_Like I'm really going to the Hot Springs," Cyndi joked to herself as the wind blew through her hair._

"_Skyia!" the Armor Bird Pokémon cried in response, agreeing. Cyndi petted the Armor Bird's sharp feathers along her head as they flew through the air towards the volcano.  
_

"_Head down near that volcano, Skarmory," Cyndi told her mother's Pokémon. "Lotsa rocks should be around here, so we're bound to find one that's egg-shaped."_

_Cyndi and Skarmory landed in front of the entrance to a cave. A large man in a construction hat saw her land and walked over to her. "Little girl, what're you doing out here?" he asked. "We're mining the mountain here."_

"_I came to look for a nice rock," Cyndi smiled as perkily as she could. She'd seen Joys act perky, and was entirely able of emulating the behavior._

"_Well, it's nice to meet such a young rock collector," the man chuckled, rubbing the thick hair on his chin, "but it's really dangerous around here. Why don't you come back later?"_

"_But I need the rock now!" she pouted in a way she had seen more spoiled children demand a new toy in a store._

"_Well, I guess you can look around here," he sighed. "But stay away from the machines, alright?"_

"_Okay!" she smiled, giving him a thumbs up._

_Cyndi grunted to herself about having to search the bushes for a rock. She recalled Skarmory and began searching the forest floor when she heard a huge explosion. "That sounded like it came from the construction site!" she exclaimed. Cyndi dashed back to see all of the construction workers fallen with their faces to the ground._

"_That'll teach you who you're messing with," a cloaked man's voice boomed from the front of the mountain._

"_You three," a female's voice came from a smaller body next to the cloaked man. "Or four. Whatever, just get over here and help move these unconscious workers. We need to get ready."_

"_Ready for what, my corrupt friends?" A man stepped out of the bushes, rubbing his hands together._

"_None of your business," the man boomed back. "Just do your job."_

"_Ya don't hafta shout," a much, much smaller individual griped, following the taller, whinier man._

"_This is our big opportunity for a promotion, you two!" A woman followed them. "You… better… not… blow it," she heaved, lifting up the smallest person available._

"_Wobbuffet!" a Pokémon appeared next to the woman._

"_Ya don't have to go openin' ya big Meowth all da time," the smallest griped._

_Cyndi rubbed her eyes. "Is that Team Rocket?" she said much too loudly._

_Everyone present and conscious looked over to the girl, who promptly covered her mouth with her hands._

"_Jess, isn't that the twerp's pal from Cerulean?" the Rocket who was obviously James at this point asked._

_Jessie grinned. "That means that the twerp and his Pikachu are coming, too," she smiled._

"_An' if we grab 'er, we can use 'er as bait for Pikachu," Meowth smiled._

"_No," the woman said. "She's coming with me. Get back to work."_

"_What did you tell us?" Jessie turned back to the woman._

"_She said get back to work," the cloaked man's voice boomed. "Do you want us reporting you to Giovanni?"_

_Team Rocket audibly gulped. "N-no sir!" they all agreed._

_Before the woman could start stepping over to Cyndi, the girl had already turned tail and fled._

"_Well, then I'll just have to handle this," the woman grinned._

* * *

Ash, May, Brock, and Anabel all stared with much interest in the girl's story.

"Yeah?" May asked. "What happened next?"

Cyndi looked at the ceiling. "I… don't remember," she coughed.

Ash, May, and Anabel all let out a groan.

"Well, if she was knocked unconscious," Brock noted, "it's possible that she doesn't remember the ending. I read once that you can never remember what happened when you get knocked out. It's always a few seconds before where your memory ends."

"That doesn't matter!" Cyndi pointed accusingly. "I recognize her voice! She's the one who kidnapped me!"

"Are you sure?" Anabel raised an eyebrow. "I mean, you can't even remember what happened. Who's to say that that person was even me? And if it was, why would I do something like kidnap you?"

Cyndi, feeling the burden of proof, was speechless.

"I don't know," May stepped up. "But I believe her. Cyndi wouldn't lie about something like this. I think you're up to no good, too."

"Oh, like your view is unbiased," Anabel scoffed. "I think you're just feeling a bit jealous."

May turned redder than she had earlier. "I-I'm not gonna back down. You're not gonna intimidate me with your dumb words."

"So what, then?" Anabel smiled in way that made May's spine shiver. "You believe the girl's story. What difference does it make?"

"The difference that I have proof," May spoke up. "That cloaked man was Tucker. I would know, because Ash and I had a run in with him after you left. He nearly killed the two of us, and our Pokémon."

Ash stepped away from Anabel and picked Pikachu back up. "Yeah, and Team Rocket was there waitin' for us. Cyndi would recognize them from when we saw them in Cerulean during that time."

Cyndi's former lack of confidence was replaced by a smirk as the burden of proof shifted to Anabel. Even Brock was beginning to eye her with suspicion. "Look, what would it take for you to believe me that I wasn't there?" she asked the group.

"A battle," May challenged. "If we battle, and you win, then we'll believe you," she spoke for the rest of the group. "But if I win, you've gotta tell us what's up with the Frontier Brains, and why we found Tucker stealing from that cave."

Anabel's face widened to a grin. "Well, if that's all I gotta do, then I accept your challenge, May."

* * *

**It always ends up as a battle, doesn't it? I wonder which Pokémon they're going to use? Can May defeat Anabel and force her to spill the beans, or will Anabel defend her tarnish reputation to an unnessisarily jealous girlfriend? You'll just have to come back next time to see!  
**


	14. It's Eeveelutionary!

**This chapter has a battle, flashbacks, and foreshadowing! What more could you ask for? I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

She furrowed her lavender eyebrows as she looked across the field they had found in front of Berry Forest that was suitable for battling. "Why wasn't I allowed to explain myself again?" she asked Brock, who was walking towards the rear center of the field, where he would judge.

"I really have no idea," he shrugged. "It was May's idea to battle you, after all. I think after this is over, you'll be able to tell your side of the story."

"But why does May want to battle me?" Anabel asked as he was walking away.

"I think she thinks you're trying to take Ash away from her or something," he shrugged. "That's her deal, not mine."

On the other side of the field, Ash, May, Cyndi, and Pikachu were getting ready for the battle as well.

"You need to be on your guard, May," Ash warned. "She's a Frontier Brain for a reason." Pikachu spoke and nodded in agreement with Ash.

"I'm not worried," May smiled. "I've seen her battle with you, so I already know what she can do."

"Clean her clock, May!" Cyndi cheered. "I know she's up to no good!"

"Happi!" Cyndi's baby Pokémon chirped.

"Little girl and gentleman," Brock called, jokingly, "please take your seats and we'll let this battle begin." Ash, Pikachu, and Cyndi sat in the grass next to Brock. "Now, this one on one battle will begin. Each trainer will use just one Pokémon, and the winner will be decided when one of the battling Pokémon can't continue. Trainers, choose your Pokémon."

"Eevee, take the stage!" May tossed the Pokéball containing her Normal-type forward. The red-and-white ball snapped open, and in a flash of light, May's Evolution Pokémon stood on the battle field.

"Eevee!" she shook her fluff, trying her best to look tough.

"How cute!" Anabel smiled. "It's just so darling. But, now it's my turn to choose." She took a Pokéball from her pocket and tossed it into the air. "Go, my friend!" Her Pokéball snapped open, and a lavender Pokémon stood facing down Eevee.

"Efeui," the lavender Pokémon snapped her long, forked tail around.

"Hey, that's her favorite Pokémon," Ash noted.

Cyndi dug her hand into Ash's pocket and took out his Pokédex. Before the boy could protest, she snapped it open and pointed it at Anabel's Pokémon.

The Pokédex whirred a bit, and then a picture of the Pokémon appeared on the small screen. "Espeon," the automated voice dictated, "the Sun Pokémon. Espeon is one of the many the evolved forms of Eevee. An Espeon is extremely loyal to any trainer it considers to be worthy. It is said to have developed precognitive powers to protect its trainer from harm."

"Cool," Cyndi blinked. "May's Pokémon is going up against its evolved form."

Ash gritted his teeth. "Keep your focus on the battle, and you'll be able to win, May!"

May looked down the field at her opponent. This was defiantly more for her than it was to find out more about the Brain's shady dealings. The Coordinator could tell that she was eyeing Ash in a way she was uncomfortable with. Perhaps framing the Brain wasn't the best way to go about it, but one way or another, May was determined to make sure Anabel didn't think she was able to just come in and steal her boyfriend.

"Trainers, are you ready?" Brock called out.

"Let's have a good match, May," Anabel smiled across the field to May.

May frowned. _She's just trying to psyche me out. _"Sure, we'll have a good match."

"Let's begin!" Brock threw up his arms.

"Eevee, use Shadow Ball!" May called out. Eevee opened her mouth wide, and in front of her, the shadows in the surrounding area seemed to come together around her mouth, forming an orb of darkness. May's Eevee launched the dark attack right for Anabel's Espeon.

"That's really effective," Cyndi noted from the side line. "Ghost-type attacks are really effective against Psychic-type Pokémon."

"That must be why May chose Eevee for this battle," Ash noted. "From watching my battle with her, she knows that Anabel only has Psychic-type Pokémon."

"Espeon," Anabel called out, "dodge, and get in close with Quick Attack." Espeon, with blinding speed, leapt out of the way of the incoming Ghost-type attack and before May's eyes could even move back to her own Pokémon, Espeon was tackling Eevee to the ground.

"Eevee, go under ground!" May called to her Pokémon. Eevee dove away from Espeon and into the soft earth beneath her.

_Espeon, wait for Eevee to come up, then grab her with Psychic_, Anabel told her Pokémon mentally.

The ground underneath Espeon began to crumble, but as Eevee leapt through the ground to Espeon's underside, the Sun Pokémon leapt out of the way. Espeon's violet eyes began to glow, and Eevee was wrapped in a blue light, carrying her into the air. _Send her flying!_ Anabel ordered mentally. Espeon obeyed, and with a swish of her head, Eevee was hurtling through the air.

"Eevee, use Shadow Ball, quick!" May called out to her Pokémon. Eevee, struggling against Espeon's mental powers, opened her mouth and formed another Shadow Ball. She launched it at Espeon just as she began to fall to earth. Espeon, still focusing on the Psychic attack, took the Shadow Ball head on, knocking her backwards, onto her back.

_Espeon, can you keep fighting? _Anabel's expression changed to worried. With a quick roll, Espeon stood back up, ready to continue. _Alright, let's let them make the mistake this time._

"Why isn't Anabel issuing any commands," Cyndi raised an eyebrow. "Is she letting Espeon fend for herself?"

Ash shook his head. "No. Anabel has a gift that lets her communicate with Pokémon without talking. She's been communicating with Espeon this entire time, and it's taking its toll on May."

The girl looked up to the frustrated coordinator. One could see a vein throbbing on May's forehead. _It's not fair. I can't hear her strategy, so I can't even counter,_ May thought. _Let's do something she won't even expect, then._ "Eevee, go in with a Tackle attack!" May commanded.

Eevee, tottering side to side, began charging at Anabel's Espeon._ Perfect_, the Brain thought to her Pokémon, _when she gets close enough, fire your Zap Cannon. That should finish the match._

As Eevee charged closer to Espeon, the Sun Pokémon watched her previous form closely. When the distance was proper, the jewel on Espeon's forehead began to glow. An orb of crackling electricity began to form. Espeon launched it towards Eevee with incredible speed.

"May, watch out for that Zap Cannon!" Ash called out to her from the sideline.

"Eevee, jump over the Zap Cannon, and use Shadow Ball!" May commanded.

Anabel gasped as May's Pokémon easily cleared the Zap Cannon attack. From the peak of her jumping arc, Eevee formed a Shadow Ball in her paw and tossed it quickly at the surprised Espeon.

_Jump, and smack her down with Iron Tail!_ Anabel thought quickly.

Espeon jumped, and the Shadow Ball caught the Sun Pokémon's hind legs. The momentum caused Espeon to flip forward very quickly. As the flipping Espeon neared Eevee, her tail began to glow. The iron-hard appendage crashed into Eevee's back, knocking her down into the dirt. When the dust kicked up by the impact cleared, Espeon's hind legs were sprawled on the ground, but her fore legs held the Pokémon up. Eevee was completely flat against the ground, her eyes glazed over, and a tired smile on her face.

Brock through up his arms. "Eevee is no longer able to battle! The winners are Anabel and Espeon."

May quickly ran over across the field to her fallen Pokémon. May fell to her knees and scooped up Eevee, codling the Pokémon closely. "Oh, Eevee, are you alright?" she panicked.

"Eee…" the dazed Normal Type responded, still not all the way there.

"That was a good battle, May," Anabel held out one of her hands, the other holding Espeon close. "If one more Shadow Ball had hit, Eevee wouldn't have been the loser here. "

May stood up and shook Anabel's hand. The girl didn't smile, however, nor did she say anything.

"That was a great battle, you two," Brock said, trying to break the tension.

"You did great out there, May," Ash slid up next to her. "C'mon, let's take Eevee to the Pokémon Center."

"Alright," she said, hiding her eyes with her bangs. May began to lead the couple back to the Pokémon Center, where Eevee was going to need a rest.

"Wait!" Anabel called back. "You haven't let me tell my side of the story yet!" she shouted, as she gave chase.

* * *

The group all sat down at a booth in the Pokémon Center's lobby. May was still depressed over her loss, and glumly rested her head on Ash's shoulder. Anabel rolled her eyes from across the table, getting disgusted with how much May was getting Ash to baby her.

"Now, I want to tell you all what happened," Anabel said. "What Cyndi saw wasn't… wholly untrue." She looked back down at the blue tabletop and took a breath. "I was there with Team Rocket and Tucker. That much is true. You just don't know the rest of the story after that."

* * *

_A large, orange and black striped Pokémon howled as he was recalled into his Pokéball. "Well done, Arcanine," Tucker grinned from within his hood. He turned back to the construction workers who had been knocked out in the battle. "That'll teach you who you're messing with."_

"_I don't see why you've gotta wear that cloak," Anabel sighed._

"_It adds to the theatrics, young Anabel," Tucker replied._

"_Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "You three," she said, turning to the Rockets hiding in the bushes. "Or four," she recounted, spying a blue, blobby Psychic Pokémon, "whatever, just get over here and help move these unconscious workers. We need to get ready."_

"_Ready for what, my corrupt friends?" James out of the bushes, rubbing his hands together. He was smiling very insecurely, and caused Anabel to step backwards._

"_None of your business," Tucker boomed back. "Just do your job."_

"_Ya don't hafta shout," Meowth grumbled. He followed James closely, and began helping him lift a moderately sized individual._

"_This is our big opportunity for a promotion, you two!" Jessie bossed them around. "You… better… not… blow it," she heaved, lifting up the smallest person available._

"_Wobbuffet!" he snapped into his salute._

"_Ya don't have to go openin' ya big Meowth all da time," the Pokémon spat back._

"_Is that Team Rocket?" a voice came from the bushes._

_Anabel felt her skin turn pale. She knew that if this information got out, not only would her career be ruined, but the reputation of the entire Battle Frontier would be marred permanently. Behind her shoulder, she heard Tucker snicker, "At least I have this cloak to conceal my identity."_

_In the direction of the voice, there stood a young girl. Her blue hair was down in braids that fell down her back, but other than that and her oddly familiar face, she was concealed in the bushes._

"_Jess, isn't that the twerp's pal from Cerulean?" James quizzically pointed at the girl poking her head from the bushes._

_Jessie grinned. "That means that the twerp and his Pikachu are coming, too," she smiled._

"_An' if we grab 'er, we can use 'er as bait for Pikachu," Meowth smiled._

Twerp?_ Anabel thought._ Pikachu? Ash! That girl must know Ash. I've got to do something. _"No," Anabel stepped forward. "She's coming with me. Get back to work."_

"_What did you tell us?" Jessie turned back to Frontier Brain, furious._

"_She said get back to work," Tucker's booming voice filled the air. "Do you want us reporting you to Giovanni?"_

_Team Rocket audibly gulped. "N-no sir!" they all agreed._

_Before Anabel could start stepping over to the mysterious girl, she had already turned tail and fled. "Well, then I'll just have to handle this," the woman grinned, sighing._

_Anabel gave chase after the fleeing girl. The girl darted into the bushes and down a dirt path in the forest. As the Salon Maiden turned the corner, she heard the girl scream. The small child had fallen down just a few feet from where Anabel was. Quickly racing over to where she fell, Anabel turned the girl over and propped her up. "Are you okay?" she asked._

_The girl, though she was breathing, gave no response. Her eyes had fallen shut._

"_Great," Anabel sighed. "She fainted." Anabel took a transmitter from her pocket and flipped it on. "Tucker, can you hear me?"_

"_Anabel," Tucker's voice came through, "what happened with that girl?"_

"_She fell in the woods and fainted," she responded. "You can handle the rest of the operation yourself, right?"_

"_Of course."_

"_Then I'm heading back to town to meet up with Greta," she said. "I'm taking the girl with me."_

"_Alright. Good luck."_

* * *

Brock sipped his soda. "So you're saying you gave chase to protect Cyndi from Team Rocket?"

Anabel nodded. "Of course I recognized them when I was assigned this little 'project'. And I knew that as soon as they started mentioning Pikachu that Ash was still in their sights."

"Tell us more about this 'project,'" Brock asked. "Why were you going in for the ruby?"

Anabel sighed. "I really have no idea. All I know is that Scott told Greta that if we didn't help, we would be removed from our positions as Frontier Brains. From what I understand by talking to him, Tucker was told the same."

"Greta?" Cyndi tilted her head to the side. "Who's that?"

Ash fielded this one. "Greta's the Arena Tycoon, the Frontier Brain of the Battle Arena."

"Yes," Anabel sighed, "and she's a good friend from my childhood."

May sat up. "You mean that you met Greta before you two were Frontier Brains?"

Anabel nodded. "When we were kids, and I didn't fully understand my gift, all the children at school would make fun of me when I said that I could talk to flowers and Pokémon. Greta stood up to those bullies for me, and we became friends. She was very interested in what flowers would say, and what her father's Pokémon were thinking. Even after she left to become a Pokémon Trainer, Greta was always sending me E-mails. She was a great friend." Anabel let out a sigh. "Then, a few years after I had become a trainer, she introduced me to Scott and the idea of the Battle Frontier."

"You don't sound too thrilled about that," Brock noted.

"Greta wanted me to become a Brain," she said. "She knew that my gift gave me an edge in Pokémon Battles, and recommended me to Scott himself. In order to… in order to become a Brain, you have to beat other Brains, as you should know, Ash," she turned to him. "Since there were only five Brains at this time, all I had to do was beat one, and Scott chose Greta to be my opponent."

"That sounds hard," May sighed. "Having to fight your best friend to get in."

"I really didn't even want in," Anabel sighed. "I know Greta wanted me to join. And that's why…" she closed her eyes. "That's why Greta threw that battle for me. She didn't think I had what it takes to be a Brain. She told me, 'Anabel, I'm glad Scott let you join us here. It'll be great havin' my best friend around all the time!' The way she said it, it sounded like even Scott could tell that she threw the match."

"Wait, I don't get it," Ash interrupted. "Why are you upset that Greta threw the match if you both got to hang out together?"

"This was all before the seventh Brain joined," Anabel sighed. "After Brandon signed on without even having to battle, Scott changed. And so did Lucy and Tucker. So did Greta." She sighed. "At first, the Battle Frontier was going to be on an island. All the facilities would be close together, and lots of battles would go on every day. It was to be like a Pokémon Battle Theme Park. But after Brandon joined, Scott's plans changed. He now set it in Kanto, and spread the facilities so far around, I hardly ever got to see anyone any more. Noland was like a big brother to me, and now no one ever sees him. Spencer's turned into a hermit, from the stories I hear when Scott visits, and the rest of the Brains have all become too busy with their work to so much as call, or anything."

"Fame does that sometimes," Brock tried to comfort the lavender-haired girl. "I'm sure everyone got new responsibilities when the Battle Frontier got started."

"But how did Scott contract Team Rocket?" Ash asked the group.

"I have no idea," Anabel placed her head in her hands, covering her eyes. "I have no idea…" she began to whimper.

May looked at the girl. She had bared her memories to the group. Painful memories of rejection by her friends and getting pulled into something that she didn't want to be a part of. May reached across the table and took Anabel's hand into her own. "It's alright, Anabel," May smiled. "We're going to solve this mystery. And when we do, we're going to find out what happened to Greta."

"May…" Anabel looked up with her teary violet eyes into May's sapphire gaze.

Ash stood up. "That's right," he grinned with confidence, "we'll help set the Battle Frontier straight and help the Brains against whatever's forcin' 'em to do bad stuff!"

"Pikapika!" Pikachu grinned from Ash's shoulder.

"Anabel…" Cyndi looked at her feet. "I'm sorry that I was suspicious of you. Thank you for protecting me." She stood up and bowed to the Brain.

Brock raised a quizzical eyebrow. "But then what were you two doing in Berry Forest?"

Anabel let out another sigh. "After we learned that Tucker had a run in with Ash and May, we knew that something had to be done. Tucker told Greta about Cyndi's connection to you guys and then…"

* * *

"_You can do this, right?" the blonde girl asked. She stood up and tugged on her black and red gi, making sure it fit right._

_Anabel looked over to the child as she slept on a sofa. "I don't know, Greta. She's just a kid. I don't think she should be brought into this."_

"_But if Ash and his friends tell anyone what they saw, there'll be no more Battle Frontier!" the blonde glared her sky-blue eyes at Anabel._

"_Maybe I don't want to be a Brain, anyway,' Anabel grumbled._

"_What did you say?" the blonde stomped her sneaker to the ground, adding a verbal "oish" to the impact._

"_Nothing," Anabel sighed. "What do you want me to do again?"_

"_Use your powers to hypnotize this girl," the blonde reminded her. "I know you can do it."_

"_That doesn't make it right," Anabel shot back. "I shouldn't use my gift to hurt people."_

"_I thought we were friends, Anabel," the girl turned her back to the Salon Maiden. "I thought I could get your help when I needed it, like I helped you in the past."_

_Anabel's heart felt another pin poke into it. Clenching her eyes shut for a moment to force her tears down again, she stood up and walked over to the unconscious child._

"_She's been out cold since she fainted in the woods this morning," Anabel said. _Forgive me,_ she thought to the girl as she placed her hand on her forehead._

_She read the girl's mind, and saw what she was dreaming about in her unconscious state. She was wandering a vast, bright forest, searching for something. With a deep breath, Anabel began to focus her mind. She tapped into the girl's thoughts and soon the body began to sit up, eyes still shut. Her eyelids slowly opened, but the orbs within remained dim, focused on some faraway, unseen object._

"_Awesome!" the blonde jumped up. "You really did it!"_

_The startling jump caused Anabel to lose her concentration. The girl fell backwards again, resuming her undisturbed slumber. Anabel fell back into a sitting position, sweat pouring down her head, panting deeply._

"_What happened?" the blonde stepped over. "Why did she fall back down?_

"_It… it… it requires the utmost concentration," Anabel said, panting. "When you spoke, I couldn't focus." She shook her head. "And unless you couldn't tell, its already really taxing as it is."_

"_Well, then pick up the kid and let's go," the blonde scowled._

* * *

"…Greta's plan was to lead you into the forest. If Cyndi couldn't beat you in a Pokémon Battle, I was supposed to ambush you and capture you then," Anabel finished her story

"What made you stop, then?" May asked, deeply interested in the story.

"Not only is it really hard to control someone like that," Anabel explained, "but it's impossible to do when someone's conscious. Cyndi's fainting allowed me to 'hijack' her body, sort of. As I practiced my control, I must have tired her out, and she ended up sleeping again. Of course, I ended up sleeping a lot, too. It's difficult." She turned her eyes back to Cyndi. "I'm really sorry that I had to do it. I never wanted to hurt you."

Cyndi sat in stunned silence. Brock continued the conversation. "So what happened when we found Cyndi in the forest?"

"I knew that Cyndi was your friend, so I was able to suppress that," Anabel explained. "I didn't know what she was looking for in her dream, though. That happened to be Happiny. When she saw Happiny, the real Cyndi broke through, and caused a sort of backlash. She fainted, as you know, and I did as well. That's apparently where Ash and Pikachu found me, a few meters away under a tree."

"So you can control people over a distance?" May blinked.

"Not very well, as you could tell," she laughed. "Cyndi was on autopilot. I was just making sure she didn't break character. But if I was close by, when you all came up, I would have lost my concentration, and she would have fainted again." Anabel turned to Ash. "I'm just glad Ash was there to save both of us. I don't want to think about what would have happened if he didn't come to help us." A small blush colored Anabel's cheeks.

"Well, as long as this is all sorted out," Brock smiled, standing, "We should probably get back to Cyndi's uncle Gus and Two Island."

"Who?" Cyndi raised an eyebrow tilting her head.

"Your uncle Gus, who told us that you were in…" May realized what was going on.

"It's a trap," Ash growled. Pikachu added his distaste for the situation. "We were never supposed to be able to return from the forest."

All eyes turned to the Salon Maiden. Anabel cracked a grin. "Don't worry. I have a plan."

* * *

**Just when our heroes thought they were free to continue their journey, they learn that they are still in the thick of the trap set by the Frontier Brains. Can Anabel be trusted, or are Ash, May, and Pikachu going to regret ever accepting that invitation from Scott? You'll just have to come back next time to see!**


	15. The Many Shapes of Friendship

**It always starts innocently enough, doesn't it? I hope you all like this chapter. US Readers, only 1 month and 2 weeks until the release of Diamond and Pearl! Everyone else, I hope you all have a good time reguardless with the coming changes in the weather that happen this time of year.**

* * *

It was another clear night on Three Island. Ash, May, Cyndi, Brock, and Pikachu had been asleep for a few hours. Anabel only pretended to fall asleep, however, her mind very much occupied. She looked over to the bottom bunk across from her. Because Anabel wanted to stay in the same room as Ash and his friends, two people had to share a bed. Of course, May was the first to volunteer that she and Ash spend the night together. Cyndi raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, while Brock laughed. Anabel felt her stomach tie itself up looking over, seeing May wrap her arms around Ash as they both snoozed quietly. She tried turning over, to ignore it, but she could still see it in her mind. She tried to overwrite it with thoughts about tomorrow, about the plan, and how things were going to have to go in order to pull it off.

"I love you, Ashy," she heard May lazily yawn from behind her, breaking her concentration again. She turned over again, and glared through the darkness over at May. The Coordinator's face was buried in Ash's chest, and Anabel thought she could see a bit of drool from May's mouth. Shuddering, she slipped out of bed, stepped into her shoes, and walked outside, closing the door as quietly as she could.

The door closing, however, snapped Pikachu awake. The Electric Pokémon who was curled up next to Ash twitched his ears and sat up. Pikachu looked across the room and saw Anabel's empty bed.  
"Pikapi," the mouse Pokémon quietly shook Ash.

"Pikachu," Ash yawned, "we're not even in Pallet Town yet. You can eat the cake when we get there."

Pikachu sighed. Waking Ash wouldn't be an easy matter.

"But I want the cake," he heard May say when she sat up, rubbing her eyes with her hand.

"Pikaka!" Pikachu smiled. He pointed across the room to where Anabel was supposed to be sleeping.

The Coordinator looked over and saw that her bed was empty. "Anabel? Where did she go?" May yawned.

Pikachu hopped down from the bed and pointed at the door. May slipped out of bed and into her shoes. She opened the door and poked her head out. "Pikachu, I dunno where she went, but I'm sleepy, and I'm not wearing any pants, so I'm going back to-" Just then, Pikachu darted out of the room, down the hall toward the Pokémon Center's Lobby. "Oh, come on, Pikachu" May whined, "I'm tired! Don't make me chase you!" When the Pokémon disappeared around the corner, May sighed, and gave chase down the hall. Before she stepped around the corner, though, she poked her head around the corner to see Chansey smiling at her, sitting behind the counter. May straightened the long yellow shirt she routinely slept in to make sure it covered her underwear. As the girl stepped around the corner, she saw Pikachu open the automatic door to the Pokémon Center and dash outside. "Pikachu!" she whined again. At this point, she knew that if something happened to him, Ash would be furious. Against her better judgment, she ran outside, following Pikachu down the road.

* * *

Anabel sat in the field where she battled May earlier that day. She felt confused on the inside. She knew that Ash was May's boyfriend, and that she shouldn't do anything. But still, Ash had a certain quality to him that just drew the Salon Maiden to this wandering trainer.

"What am I gonna do?" she asked herself. "May's so suspicious of me, but I really like Ash… I shouldn't try to take him away from her, that's just wrong. But… my heart doesn't feel the same way as my mind does." She placed a hand on her chest and cupped it over her heart. "I really like him. A lot. But he's taken. What am I gonna do?"

"Pikachu!" she heard May's voice call. Anabel stood up and turned around. The small yellow Pokémon had found her and leapt out of the bushes that were behind her.

_Pikachu, May's coming,_ she tried to tell him. _Stay quiet._

"Pika, pikachu Pikaka pikapika Pikapi, pikachu," the Pokémon responded calmly.

"Pikachu?" May stepped through the bushes carefully, trying not to scrape her bare legs against any branches. Anabel just looked May in the eyes, although her bright yellow shirt did stand out like a sore thumb. May smiled when she saw Anabel, "I'm glad Pikachu found you, Anabel."

The Salon Maiden turned around and huffed. "May, why did you follow me?"

"Well, I was actually following Pikachu," she laughed, plucking the Pokémon from the ground and placing him in her hair. "Pikachu's the one who followed you."

"Well, Pikachu," Anabel turned around, looking into the small creature's dark eyes, "why did you follow me?"

Pikachu, knowing she could sense his thoughts, just twitched his ears.

"I see," she said.

"What?" May blinked, still confused.

"Pikachu followed me because he's looking out for Ash's interests," Anabel said. "And Ash knows you're worried about me, so Pikachu's looking after you by keeping an eye on me."

"Oh," said May, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"May, why don't you trust me?" Anabel asked.

"I do," she looked up, a frown on her face.

"No you don't," Anabel frowned back. "You trust me to help out tomorrow, but you don't trust me to keep my hands off of your boyfriend."

May stepped back. "Well-uh, so what if I'm a little bit protective?"

"A little bit?" Anabel scoffed. "You were turning green when you saw us together in the morning, and you challenged me to that battle only because you were jealous!"

Hurt, May stepped back again. "I'm afraid of you, Anabel. You've got your gift, your prestige, you even befriended Ash really quickly. You just seem to have so much more than I do. I feel like I don't measure up. I feel like, compared to you, I'm third rate, and Ash would be much happier with you."

Anabel chuckled and turned her back again. She looked up at the mostly full moon that had already begun to wane. "I'm the one who should be jealous, May," she said back.

"Really?" May stepped forward again. "Why?"

"You get to travel around wherever you want," she started. "I have to stay in one place. You get to follow your dreams, and I'm stuck battling challenger after challenger." Then she took a deep breath. "You're also much more beautiful than I am. Compared to you, I'm just a lily standing next to a beautiful rose. And Ash loves you. One of the reasons you are who you are is because of the love he poured out on you. The beautiful rose gets pollinated by the humming bird and becomes fruitful, while the lily prays for the winds to bring her someone who can make her own dreams come true. That's why I'm to be jealous of you, May."

"Anabel…" May whispered.

"Next to you, May, I feel third rate," Anabel tried to joke. "The only reason I'm even a part of the Battle Frontier is because my gift gives me an edge in battles. Without that, I'd have never been able to beat you, or Ash. I'm just a poser in a world of powerful trainers."

"That's not true," May tried to boost her confidence. "You're a great trainer and you have great Pokémon."

"Pikapika," the Pokémon added.

"I wish I could be like you, May," Anabel turned to May, smiling. "Confident, strong, lucky-"

"I'm not that great," May blushed, waving her off.

"You are, May," Anabel looked into her eyes. "Why do you think Drew was enamored with you? Or why Ash fell in love with you? You're a great coordinator, you have great Pokémon, and you have the heart of an excellent young man." Anabel began to walk past her, back towards the Pokémon Center. "I'm feeling better, now," she said. "I'm going to go back to sleep now."

May and Pikachu just watched her walk into the darkness towards town. "Did you tell her about Drew?" she looked up at the Pokémon on her head.

"Pi kachu…" the mouse responded.

* * *

A boat pulled up to the port of Two Island. A man in a black suit stepped away from his post and approached the docking vessel.

A lavender-haired girl stuck stepped out of the door and began lowering the ramp from the ship.

"Who are you?" the man in black asked, peering from under his dark hat.

The girl smirked. "I'm Anabel, Salon Maiden and Frontier Brain of the Battle Tower. I've returned with that which I was charged to get."

The man quickly jumped and straightened the "R" on his black shirt. "M-Miss Anabel, Miss Greta has been waiting for your return as well as the capture of the Pokémon Trainers who have been disrupting our operation."

Anabel smiled. "Well, I'm back now, and I've got 'em. So I'll just take 'em to the base now."

"Yes, ma'am."

As Anabel stepped out from the door, Ash and May, and behind them, Brock and Cyndi, followed Anabel two by two down the ramp. All of them had their eyes halfway shut and followed Anabel silently.

Anabel led her prisoners to what looked like an arcade at the edge of the dusty town. The paint job was done in purple and many bright lights outlined the building. Anabel stepped in front of the glass door and it automatically slid open. Motioning to the people behind her, she began to step inside. A man in the back of the dim room stepped forward. "Anabel," his booming voice was heard, "I'm glad to see that you're alright. We were becoming worried."

"I'm fine, Tucker," Anabel rolled her eyes in the darkness. "Can I just take them to the lower floors where they can stay imprisoned?"

"Well, you can take those two," he said, pointing at Brock and Cyndi, "but I have a little score to settle with Ash Ketchum and his little girlfriend." Tucker stepped around the group and raised an eyebrow. "How come they're not bound or anything?" he asked.

"I-uh, I've got them under my mind control," Anabel said. "They're completely obedient to what I say."

"Interesting…" Tucker placed his hand on his chin. "I'm sure you could have some fun with a trick like that…"

Anabel's face turned deep red. "Tucker! That's gross! Don't talk like that!"

Tucker merely snickered. "I was only kidding, Anabel," he said. "You're even more on edge that usual." The Dome Ace walked behind the counter and pressed a button. The wall next to the counter opened up, showing an elevator. "Go ahead and take them down to see Greta. I put her in charge of the rest of the prisoners."

Anabel nodded, and led the group of Pokémon Trainers under her care into the rather large elevator. Tucker pressed the button again, and the door slid closed, encasing the entire group in darkness.

Ash's backpack opened up, and Pikachu stuck his head out to get a breath of fresh air.

"Shh…" Ash whispered back. "Get back inside, Pikachu. We're not ready to blow our cover yet."

Sighing, the electric Pokémon slid back inside and zipped up the pack again. Although, this time, he left a small air hole for himself to breathe out of.

"Now stay quiet," Anabel instructed. "When we get the chance, we'll be able to turn the tables on Greta."

"Why are we doing this again?" Cyndi questioned. "I mean, couldn't we just call the cops or something?"

Anabel sighed. "I don't want my friends to get arrested. I'm sure I can reason with Greta, and the both of us can reason with Tucker."

"And if we can't," Brock added, "we'll have to be able to stop their operations here, anyway."

"So we're going to try to break them down from the inside?" Cyndi asked again.

"That's the plan," Anabel nodded. "Now be quiet, we're almost to the floor."

In a few moments, the elevator opened up its doors to a long hallway that was lined with what seemed to be prison cells. Lots of families were huddled together, crying. Other cells held people shouting at the Rocket Guards who paid them no heed. At the end of the hall, a metal door was cracked open, with sounds of someone shouting "oish" coming from the room. Ash and his friends tried to avert their eyes from the suffering of the people in the cells, but May noticed that she didn't see any Pokémon among them. She did see, however, a familiar old woman meditating in her cell who looked up when Anabel led them through. She cracked a wry grin and nodded to May, knowing that the coordinator was watching.

Anabel opened the door into the room that was set up like a dojo. A girl with thickly curled blonde hair stood in the middle, training her Pokémon in punches and kicks, saying "oish" after each one. One of the Pokémon next to her was large and rotund. He didn't ball up his fists when he moved, instead thrusting his arms forward, palms open. He was mostly covered in pale skin, with large, dark eyebrows and an orange torso. His thighs were dark colored, and his feet were also orange.

To her right was a different Pokémon. Her head was mostly pink, with large eyes focused on her training. Her long arms had their hands balled up into fists like her trainer, although they seemed to shimmer with frost on them. Her body was also pale down to her legs (which looked like she wore baggy pants), where it returned to the pink color on her head.

"Hey, Greta," Anabel spoke up, interrupting the training.

The girl turned back and looked at Anabel. She told her Pokémon to take a break and approached the Salon Maiden, straightening her black gi as she walked. "Anabel, I was getting worried about you," she said. "How did your little trip go?"

Anabel smiled. "Look for yourself," she said, sidestepping. The group had all resumed their mind-controlled act, leaving their eyes half-shut and mouths partially open.

"Looks really good," Anabel smiled. "But isn't that really tough for you to keep going? I mean, you had lots of problems only a few days ago."

"I found a better way to do it," Anabel explained. "I can keep them under my control, easy."

"Great," Greta smiled. "The sooner we find what we're looking for, the sooner we can get this over with," she said.

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Anabel asked.

"Some rock that Scott said his 'benefactor' need, from what I can gather," Greta shrugged.

"And this 'benefactor' has also given us facilities like this and the extra man power?" Anabel asked.

"I guess," Greta shrugged. "The guy must be loaded."

"Why were there so many people in the cells here?" Anabel asked.

"Well, the rock could apparently be buried anywhere on some island, so we may have to dig up some houses," Greta explained. "It's for their own good."

"Why does Scott's benefactor need this rock?" Anabel questioned again.

"You're asking a lot of questions for someone who just got back," Greta became indignant. "I should ask you what took so long on Three Island. These kids shoulda just fallen into your hands, but it took two days. What was the hold up?"

Anabel gulped. "The-uh, the local law enforcement slowed down their trip to Berry Forest, and slowed me down on our way out."

Greta raised an eyebrow, "Really?" she asked skeptically.

Anabel nodded. "They really hate people from the Kanto Region. Fortunately, I was able to sneak through the town without being caught."

Greta stepped around the group, eyeing Ash in particular. "Didn't this one have a Pikachu?" she asked. "Scott said that we need to get that Pokémon, too."

"Why Pikachu?" Anabel asked.

Greta stomped her feet to the ground. "I don't know," she shouted. "Where is the stupid thing?"

Thinking quickly, Anabel said, "It ran off during the battle I had against them in the forest. I couldn't find it, and I wasn't told how important one little Pokémon was to the entire thing! You've all kept me in the dark the entire-"

Greta brought her hand across Anabel's face. "Don't talk to me like that," she said. "You'll do what I say, got it?"

Anabel looked at the ground. "Y-yes, ma'am," she whimpered.

"That's better," Greta huffed. She grinned at Ash and his friends, noticing a slight, momentary change in their demeanor. "Hey Anabel," she said. "Didn't you tell me how you had a crush on the boy here?" she said.

Anabel blushed, causing the red cheek to get brighter. "Yeah," she said. "What about it?"

"Well, since you have him under your control," Greta grinned, "why not have him kiss you?"

Anabel audibly swallowed. "I-uh, I've been focusing on the mission. That didn't seem like professional behavior."

"Oh, come on, Annie," Greta smiled, nudging her, "I know you have the hots for him. Just get him to kiss you. This may be your only chance."

Anabel looked into Greta's green eyes, then at Ash, then May. She looked at May for a few seconds, knowing that doing what both Greta and she herself wanted to do would be betraying the coordinator's trust.

"I-uh…" Anabel stuttered, "I'm not interested."

"Oh, that's a lie, Annie," Greta grinned, nudging her. "C'mon, do it. He can't do anything."

Anabel looked over at Ash again. Although he had kept his cool and remained still, he was sweating bullets. Looking into May's mind revealed a fire that threatened to consume her with rage.

_But will I ever have this chance again?_

Anabel gulped and stepped towards Ash. _Forgive me,_ she thought, projecting into Ash and May's minds.

She placed her hands on the sides of Ash's face and pulled his face into hers. Ash's eyes widened and his pupils shrank as Anabel probed his mouth with her tongue. He remained entirely still, not moving any part of his body at all. His face, however, involuntarily turned bright red as the Frontier Brain continued releasing her passion on him.

After a moment that seemed like hours to Anabel, Ash and May, she broke the kiss, and allowed both of them to breath.

"Why on earth did you do that?" May shouted, hurt and anger in her voice.

Greta smirked. "I knew it," she looked at Anabel. "I knew you were lying to me."

"I wasn't lying!" Anabel defended herself. "The-uh, the kiss broke my control for a second." She shot a quick look at May. "It's back on now."

"Oh, stop trying to play me like an idiot," Greta shot back. "I saw how hard it was for you to control one little girl. Don't try to fool me into thinking you can control four people at the same time."

Anabel stepped back in front of Ash and May. She could feel the brunette's eyes burning a hole through her. "Greta, please, stop. What you're doing is hurting people."

"I have to if I don't want the Battle Frontier to get demolished," Greta fired back. "Don't you realize that without this benefactor, there'd have been no more Battle Frontier? We'd be out in the streets!"

"Don't you realize that this benefactor is connected to Team Rocket? These people are professional criminals! We don't need to get mixed up with them!" Anabel fired back.

"That doesn't matter anymore. We're already in this," Greta said. "What matters is getting what we need to stay afloat."

"Even if it hurts people and Pokémon?" Anabel asked.

Greta gulped. "But what about us? What about the Frontier Brains? We need the help, or we'll get shut down! Are you saying you'll turn your back on your friends?"

"They're not my friends as much as they're yours," Anabel spat. "I know you through the match so I would be let in. No one's really taken me seriously. I'm just the little kid, just like these kids are."

Greta brought her fist into Anabel's face, knocking the girl backwards. Ash caught her as she fell to the ground. Anabel held her face where she was punched. She touched the places that seemed to hurt. She looked at her hand, and saw red smears across her skin.

"Never talk back to me like that," Greta's green eyes burned with anger. "After all I've done for you, you have no right to say those kinds of things to me."

"Why'd you do that to your friend?" Ash shot. After Anabel stabilized, he stood up. "You two have been through a lot together, and you do that to her?"

Pikachu leapt out of the pack and onto his shoulder. "Pika!" the Pokémon added.

"Disrespect warrants punishment," Greta looked back at him. "Instead of capturing you, she became one of you. Don't think I didn't hear your little elevator conversation. I just wanted her here so that she could see the price of failure." Cyndi cupped her hands over her mouth, knowing she was the one who blew their cover.

"You're no friend of hers," Ash growled back. "You're just a bully. You're making her do things that she doesn't want to, and you hit her when she tries to talk to you." Pikachu flashed sparks from his cheeks at Greta. Ash grinned to his partner. "See, Greta? We're ready to battle, now."

"Ash, don't…" Anabel tugged at his pant leg, "it's too dangerous."

May bit her lip. Ash was standing up for Anabel. Wasn't this like when he stood up for other people? Did the kiss cause him to fall in love with Anabel? May, her knees shaking, stepped next to Ash. "I'm scared, Ash," she whispered to him.

Ash didn't take his gaze off of Greta. "There's nothing to be afraid of, May," he whispered back. "We can beat Greta and however many Rockets she throws at us."

"That's not exactly what I'm afraid of," she whispered agan.

Ash sighed. "If you're worried, that was the grossest kiss anyone's ever given me ever," he chuckled. "Her breath still tasted like Brock's cooking, only a few hours older."

Giggling, May reached for a Pokéball. "Alright, but I wanna have a word with her when this is all done."

Anabel looked up at May. The brunette seemed to be taking this better than expected, but she could still feel seething rage coming from the Pokémon Coordinator. _She must really want to talk_, Anabel gulped. Anabel then looked at Greta, who was calling her Pokémon over to begin battling with Ash and May. _What's happened to Greta,_ she thought. _She used to be my friend, and now she's a monster. Is my Greta still in there, or is she gone forever?_

Behind the entire scene that was playing out in the front, Cyndi and Brock were holding the door closed as best as they could. "I can't believe it was my big mouth that got us in this mess," she whined pressing most of her weight on the door.

Brock grunted as he shoved the door back with all his might. "Well, we'd have blown it eventually," he tried to comfort her. "At least we have the Brain in here by herself instead of having to fight Tucker, too."

"But how are we gonna get out?" Cyndi paniked. "We can't fight all of them!"

"We can't," Brock smiled, slipping a hand in his pocket. He pulled out what looked to be a rather old, tarnished Pokéball. "But I know someone who can."

* * *

**I hope you all liked the drama that this chapter built up? Will Ash and his friends be able to get out of this situation with everything intact, or will something have to be sacrificed in an attempt? Or will any attempt work at all? Check back next week for the answer!**


	16. Hostile and Greta!

**And now, the thrilling (?) conclusion to the cliffhanger last week! Can Ash and his friends escape? Lets find out now!**

**EDIT: Oops, forgot a line... eheh.  
**

* * *

"Hariyama! Medicham!" Greta barked. "It's time to teach these children a lesson." The Pokémon looked up and nodded, and rushed forward as Ash, May, and Anabel stepped back, making room. 

"Hey, you're barely older than us!" May huffed, annoyed at the disrespectful Brain.

"You ready, Pikachu?" Ash asked his long time partner. The Electric Pokémon hopped off his shoulder and sparked at the opposing Pokémon.

"Go, Beautifly!" May tossed her Pokéball into the air. May's Beautifly appeared and gave off its sparkling contest entrance.

"Ash… May…" Anabel gulped.

"Brock, we need a way out," Ash shouted back. "Can you do something?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Brock smiled. He jumped away from the door. The door swung open, knocking Cyndi backwards, causing her to slide across the smooth wooden floor. Brock tossed his old, tired Pokéball into the air. "Steelix, let's go!"

The tarnished ball snapped open, and a huge Iron Snake Pokémon appeared. Rotating spikes spun on about every other link in its massive metal body. The Steel-and-Ground type gave the Rockets who were clogging the doorway a big, toothy grin.

"Now, Steelix, charge through them!" Brock shouted.

The huge Pokémon seemed to laugh with a low, guttural tone, and then dove through the wall, producing a rather large hole. All of the people who were trying to charge into the room began being knocked by the wayside as Steelix charged forward towards the back. The wizened battle veteran made sure to snake his way up the hallway, just enough to knock the cell doors down and free the prisoners.

* * *

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded. The mouse Pokémon dodged one of Hariyama's wide palms and shot the Arm Thrust Pokémon with a bolt of electricity. 

"Hariyama, shake it off and use Focus Punch!" Greta commanded. "Medicham, knock down Beautifly with High Jump Kick!"

As Pikachu effortlessly dodged the Focus Punch, Medicham flew at a high speed through the air at Beautifly.

"Beautifly, dodge, and tie up Medicham's feet with String Shot!" May fought back. Beautifly climbed up through the air and Medicham flew right beneath it. The Butterfly Pokémon shot a sticky string from her mouth and caught Medicham by one of her legs. The Meditate Pokémon lost control of her momentum and crashed into the ground, breaking the wooden panels. Medicham struggled to get to her feet, but May wasn't exactly going to give her a chance. "Beautifly, blow her away with Gust!" May's Bug-and-Flying Pokémon flapped her wings rapidly, blowing Medicham through the air. The Psychic-and-Fighting Pokémon tumbled across the ground, becoming confused as her up and down seemed to be trading places.

* * *

Brock and Cyndi ran over the fallen Rockets, following Steelix down the hallway. "Everyone!" Brock shouted. "Let's keep following Steelix! He'll make a tunnel that'll lead you all to the surface." 

"But what about our Pokémon?" a young man asked. "They took them away from us when they arrested us."

Brock gritted his teeth. He turned to Cyndi. "Cyndi, lead these people out of here. I've gotta go rescue their Pokémon." He turned back to the man. "Do you know where they're being held?"

"I think in the floor just above this one," the man responded.

_Steelix just tore through these walls like they were nothing, right? We'll need a Pokémon with similar power to just tunnel upwards… _"I've got it!" Brock smiled. He ran back towards the room where Ash and May were battling Greta.

* * *

Hariyama wheezed as Pikachu leapt away again, and Beautifly had Medicham pinned to the floor with String Shot. Gutsy as she was, Greta was no match for the combined power of Ash and May's Pokémon. 

"Greta!" Tucker's voice boomed from the back of the room. The Dome Ace slid down a pole that had lowered itself from the ceiling. "What's going on here?"

Greta gritted her teeth as she stepped back. "Anabel's a turncoat, and she led the trainers here so they could take us out, now!"

Tucker looked around, seeing Anabel hide behind Ash. He smiled. "Well, well," he broadcasted his voice, "it seems like little Anabel's got some spunk after all." He stepped forward towards Ash and May's Pokémon. Pikachu and Beautifly blocked his way, shouting at him.

"So, you want to fight?" Tucker smiled. "Fine then. Go!" He tossed to Pokéballs out from his hands, they snapped open, and Tucker's Swampert and Arcanine both appeared, roaring and ready to fight.

"Anabel," Ash said, "you need to get out of here."

"He's right," May swallowed her fear. "Follow Brock and get out of here."

Just then, Brock came in through the door. "Anabel!" he shouted. "I need your help for something."

Anabel was startled. "What? What's going on?"

"We've got to hurry! C'mon!" Brock motioned. Anabel stood up and ran out the door.

Ash smiled at May. "Thanks for staying here with me, May."

May smiled back. "Why wouldn't I? I'd never miss the best part with the best man."

"Enough!" Tucker shouted. "Now we begin!"

* * *

Brock and Anabel came to the empty, destroyed hallway. It even seemed that the Rockets had found a way to escape the unexpected assault. 

"What am I supposed to do?" Anabel blinked, looking around the empty room. "It looks like you had everything handled.

"Use your Metagross to bust a hole in the ceiling here. There are stolen Pokémon in the room just above this one," Brock explained. "Steelix just tore through these walls like paper, so your Metagross, who is also a Steel-type should be able to, as well."

Anabel nodded and took a Pokéball from her belt. "Come, my friend!" she tossed the ball into the air. When it snapped open, a huge, blue Pokémon stood in the middle of the ruined room. Four powerful, metallic legs held the Pokémon up. Red and black eyes focused on Anabel, and Brock could almost see a smile on the Pokémon's mouth, located on its underside. "Metagross, can you go up there and use your Meteor Mash to break a hole in the ceiling?" Anabel asked.

Metagross groaned in acknowledgement and the brought its four legs into its main body. Using magnetic force, the Iron-Leg Pokémon floated towards the ceiling. When it was within striking distance, Pokémon lurched out one of its legs and smashed a hole clear through the ceiling. Metagross floated itself up and began attacking unseen enemies.

The Pokémon Breeder looked over to the Frontier Brain, who seemed to be concentrating. Brock smiled. "Remember," he whispered, "free the Pokémon and lead them out side. The safest way would be for them to go through Steelix's tunnel."

Anabel nodded, but said nothing, keeping her thoughts on Metagross.

"I'm going to go follow Cyndi now, and help her out. I don't know how many Rockets may have followed her and Steelix, but she may need my help if they can't get far enough.

* * *

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. Pikachu, panting, leapt out of the way of another of Swampert's palms and shot a bolt of electricity at him. Swampert shook off the shock and continued chasing Pikachu around the room. 

"Beautifly, try to dodge it!" May panicked. Her Pokémon tried dodging as well as she could, but Tucker's Arcanine shot her Fire Blast right on the Mark, scorching Beautifly and sending her across the room.

May started to run over, but Arcanine cut her off, growling intimidating at the Coordinator. May backed off momentarily, trying to ease the growling Pokémon by holding her hands up.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Arcanine!" Ash shouted. Pikachu leapt away from Swampert again, and leapt into the air. Pikachu channeled his energy into a bolt that stuck Arcanine right on her head, knocking the so called 'Legendary' Pokémon off her feet.

"Swampert, knock Pikachu out with Mud Shot!" Tucker laughed. The Mud Fish Pokémon opened his large maw and shot wads of wet dirt at the airborne Electric-type. Pikachu's back was struck, and the Mouse Pokémon tumbled to the ground beside Beautifly.

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted. As he ran over to his partner, Swampert leapt in the way and held his fist over Pikachu's head.

"If you don't stop this foolishness now," Tucker warned, "I'll have to take it out on your Pokémon, there." The Ace's eyes shot at May. "And don't dare even think about trying to use your Pokéballs to call for aid, or to save them. Swampert will crush your friend at the first sign of resistance."

Ash gritted his teeth. "We tried so hard. We can't lose now!" he said through his teeth.

May lowered her hand from her pack. "There's nothing we can do without endangering our Pokémon, Ash. He's won."

Tucker snickered. "I'm glad you're seeing things our way, now, young lady. Now please, the Sapphire."

May blinked. "The what?"

Tucker snapped his fingers. "You know what I mean, you brat! Give it to me!"

May stepped back. "I have no idea what you mean."

"So he lied…?" Tucker thought out loud.

"What?" Ash blinked. "What's going on?"

Just then, large, thick vines shot up from the ground beneath Swampert and tossed the Pokémon across the room at Tucker. The surprised Brain dodged in time, but was still flabbergasted. "What is the meaning of this?" he shouted.

An old woman slid in from the side of the hole where the door used to be. "That would be the fruits of training, young man," she smirked.

Ash and May immediately recognized the woman. "Doris! You're safe!" May laughed as Ash ran over to Pikachu and Beautifly.

Doris laughed. "Well, someone had to hold down the fort while you youngin's took too long to get back from your little trip."

"But what happened?" Ash asked, holding up Pikachu with a tired Beautifly resting on his head.

"I'll explain later," she said. "Right now, we have a Frontier Brain to stop."

When the group turned around, they saw Tucker attending to his Swampert. The Pokémon was unharmed, just taken by surprised. After which, he saw that Arcanine had recovered from the shock that Pikachu gave her earlier. "Well, I guess we have round two, then, don't we?" Tucker smiled. "Where are these phantom Pokémon of yours that can create vines from nothing?"

From the hole stepped out Ash's Sceptile, complete with a twig in his mouth. He smiled at his opposition, ready to be commanded by his trainer once again. "Sceptile!" he said, snorting loudly at Swampert.

Behind Swampert came May's Starter Pokémon. Her face lit up with a grin as she leapt between May and Arcanine. The Blaze Pokémon put her fists up, ready to try her new strength in battle.

"So, these are the Pokémon under the training of the Ghost of the Cape," Tucker smiled. "Your reputation precedes you, ma'am. Had you not retired so long ago, you may have been offered to become a Frontier Brain."

"No thanks, sonny," Doris mocked him. "Not after I see what you're all like, anyway."

"Well, now that you're against us, I'm afraid that I'll have to discipline your students," Tucker responded. "Now, let us begin!

* * *

A large roaring came from a grassy field outside the small town on Two Island. A huge Pokémon broke the ground in the field, snaking his way out of the ground. Cyndi and people who had been taken prisoner all followed the Pokémon out. Cheers of jubilation were filling the air. A few people in black suits came out from behind them, out of breath. "Hey!" the tallest man said. "You're still our prisoners! Stop celebrating before we take it out on your Pokémon!" 

"I'm afraid nobody's gonna be hurtin' no Pokémon, pardner," A bearded man in a large cowboy hat and his fellow law enforcement officers form Three Island stepped from the bushes. He smiled at the Rockets as his loyal Land Snake Pokémon let out a low 'Duuunn' and paralyzed the Rockets under his Glare

* * *

"Sceptile, counter Focus Punch with Leaf Blade!" Ash shouted. 

"Blaziken, use Sky Uppercut against Aerial Ace!" May commanded.

Ash's Forest Pokémon brought his blade into Swampert's glowing fist. Swampert struggled against Sceptile for a moment, but faltered and fell as the Grass-type brought the blade on his opposing arm to Swampert's throat. Sceptile smiled at his easy victory. He didn't even have to drop his twig.

Blaziken's glowing fist caught Arcanine right on the jaw, knocking the Fire-Type though the air. "Now, Blaze Kick it down!" May motioned. May's Fire-and-Fighting Pokémon leapt at the falling Arcanine and brought her flaming talon into the Pokémon's gut. Arcanine fell faster and tumbled across the ground, stopping short of Tucker's feet. The large Pokémon's eyes were glazed over, and she let out a whimper as Tucker quickly recalled her into her ball. He soon did the same for his overpowered Swampert. "This… this is impossible…" he scowled. "This thing can't happen now!" He quickly ran to the back of the room and pressed a button on the far wall. The wall responded with a buzzer. "What? The elevator's already been taken… Greta! Curse you!"

"The fight's over, Tucker," Ash said. "You're coming with us."

Tucker gritted his teeth. "As much as I'd hate to admit it, you're right." He raised his hands in surrender. "Even the best tactician needs to know when they've lost."

Anabel ran inside the room just then. "Everyone!" she had a huge smile on her face, "I've already rescued the Pokémon and they're on their way outside, now!"

May grinned. "That's awesome, Anabel!"

Anabel looked around the room. "Where's Greta?" she asked, her eyes slowly overcoming with panic.

"She's escaped," Tucker sighed, still holding his hands up. "She got away in the escape elevator."

Anabel's eyes widened and she ran over to the wall. "No, she didn't," Anabel panted. "I broke the Elevator when I was rescuing the Pokémon!"

Tucker's eyes widened as well. "So-"

Anabel began tearing up, as she pulled a Pokéball from her side. "She's trapped! We have to save her!"

May stepped close to Ash. "Are you sure we should? I mean, after all the mean stuff she did to Anabel, and the rest of the people…"

Ash sighed. "It's Anabel's choice. Besides, I bet that even after all the stuff that's happened, Greta just wants to be Anabel's friend again."

"Pika…" the Pokémon sighed, resting in his trainer's arms.

"Fly…" Beautifly agreed from Ash's head.

Anabel called out Metagross again, and had the Steel-and-Psychic-type break down the elevator door. Anabel dashed into the opening as smoke began pouring out. "Greta!" Anabel called up the elevator shaft. "Can you hear me?"

"Annie?" she heard the panicking voice of her friend in the elevator. "Annie, what's going on? I'm scared!" the Arena Tycoon whimpered. "I'm scared, Annie."

"Don't worry," Anabel swallowed her fear. "I'll save you." The Salon Maiden's Espeon leapt from her Pokéball and onto her trainer's shoulder as Anabel began to scale the side of the shaft. Running on adrenaline alone, Anabel climbed up through the ever thickening smoke and bumped her head on the elevator's bottom. "Espeon, knock a hole through with Iron Tail," she coughed. The Sun Pokémon nodded, and snapped her firm appendage upward, knocking a hole in it. "C'mon, Greta. Let's go!"

Greta looked down into the hole, her green eyes filled with fear. "B-but Annie, how are we going to get down?"

Anabel looked down. She didn't realize how far up she had climbed. She could still see the bottom through the smoke, but it was much too far to climb, or fall safely.

"Climb out of the elevator!" Tucker warned from below. "Hurry!"

Just then, the girls heard the metal of the elevator start to give, before thick vines shot out of the wall and held the elevator up. "C'mon, Greta!" Ash shouted. "Sceptile's gonna hold it as long as he can!"

Greta swallowed her fear and climbed out of the elevator and began clinging to Anabel's back. She wrapped her arms and legs around the Salon Maiden's midsection, cowering behind the younger girl.

"Now what?" Anabel coughed back at the people trying to help them from the ground.

"Blaziken, jump up there and help them down!" May's voice rang clear. May's Pokémon began jumping up the wall, alternating between sides until she got to the Brains. Blaziken motioned for Anabel to climb onto her back as the Pokémon held herself up by holding onto one of Sceptile's vines with a claw. Anabel nodded and fell onto the Pokémon's soft feathers along her back. Anabel now did to Blaziken what Greta was doing to her. The Pokémon, however, had the reflexes and the power to fall down and not injure herself. Blaziken fell through the smoke and leapt out of the elevator shaft. When the Blaze Pokémon was clear, Sceptile released the vines, and the elevator collapsed in the shaft, now filling the room with smoke as it burned.

"C'mon!" Ash shouted. "We've gotta get out of here! Let's use Brock's tunnel!

* * *

"All of the people we rescued were from One Island," Brock explained to a certain blue-haired police woman with as much tact as he could muster. "They said that the day had gone on normally, but then a huge army came in and loaded them into boats and snuck them into that prison." 

Jenny noted it down on her notepad. "I still can't believe that this entire operation was foiled by a group of kids," she said, tapping her pen to her paper.

"Hey, I just happen to be the Battle Frontier Champion," Ash reminded her, boosting his own ego. "I think I'd be able to handle some silly Team Rocket."

"That may be, young man," Jenny said, "but you're still just a kid. From the sound of the story, you all got very lucky at some very lucky times. If just one of those miracles hadn't pulled through, I'd hate to think what could have happened."

Cyndi scoffed to May from behind the boys while clutching Happiny in her arms. "Well, maybe little miss Jenny needs to have her butt saved by a miracle, and then she can appreciate them, more." Her Pokémon chirped in agreement.

May giggled. "That's true," she said, "but I'm glad this entire experience is over. I just wanted to spend some alone time with Ash, here. Not get caught up in a huge conspiracy."

"But ya did a fine job, little lady," the sheriff from Three Island said stepping closer to her. He tipped his hat to Norman's daughter. "You and your friends all uncovered this whole setup. I've got a new respect for not only people from Kanto, but for people from all over."

"You all are gonna be headed home to your families, right?" Cyndi walked around May and asked him.

The sheriff nodded. "That's right, lil' missy. And since Jenny and the rest of the folks here on Two Island seem to have things under control, I think it'd be best if we started moseying on home." He tipped his hat the young ladies and walked off to gather his men.

"Ash! May!" A blonde-haired man dashed through the crowd. Ash and his friends all turned around to see him. The young man dropped to his hands and knees, panting.

"Celio?" Ash blinked, trying to remember the name. "Were you one of the people captured by Team Rocket?"

Celio stood up and nodded. "Yes, and it was a terrible experience, let me assure you."

Brock stepped around Ash and raised his eyebrow. "Who are you again?"

"I'm Celio," he sighed. "I build Network Machines."

Brock snapped his fingers. "Ah, I remember now. Ash and May told me about you."

Ash looked around. "Hey, guys, have you seen Anabel? I mean, without her, we might not have won today."

May's head snapped up, and an incredibly angry look came over her face. "That's right," she fumed. "And I need to talk to her about why it's wrong to kiss other peoples boyfriends!"

"Oh boy," Cyndi sighed. Happiny chirped and smiled as the Pokémon Coordinator stormed off.

"Ash," Brock said, "It might help if you go with her."

Ash laughed. "No thanks, Brock," he said, rubbing behind Pikachu's ears. "We've had enough adventure today."

* * *

"Please, miss," Anabel pleaded with the officer. "I'll take full responsibility for her."

"She committed a crime, you know," Jenny leaded against the back of the squad car that held Greta and Tucker inside.

"I know," Anabel said, "but please? Release her to me."

May began storming up behind the Frontier Brain, but stopped to hear what Anabel was doing. She felt her anger dissolve into pity, feeling sorry for the misfortunes that the lavender-haired girl had gone through so far. "Maybe I shouldn't yell at her," May thought out loud.

"I have no reason to release a dangerous criminal to you, miss," Jenny shrugged. "That'd be foolishness."

May stepped up. "But without Anabel, we'd never have been able to save everyone," she said. "She's a hero. Can't you do her just one favor?"

Jenny sighed. "Alright, I'll let her go with you," she said. "But, only the girl, and only because you're a hero."

Anabel's face grew into a wide smile. "Thank you so much, Officer Jenny!"

"You're welcome," she sighed. She opened the car door on Greta's side and pulled her out. "You're free to go with your friends, Greta," Jenny told her.

"But what about me?" Tucker whined from his seat.

"You'll be the Cell Ace from now on," Jenny slammed the door in his face. Tucker visibly shrunk and fell over in the car.

"A-Annie," Greta couldn't look her in the eye, "you… you wanted me free?"

Anabel nodded.

"Even after all the mean things I've done to you?" she looked up, her jade eyes full of tears.

Anabel smiled. "We're friends, Greta. I'm not gonna hold a grudge with my best friend."

Greta flung her arms around Anabel and began hugging the girl tightly. "Thank you, Annie!" she cried as she picked Anabel off the ground. "I'm so sorry for what I did back there!"

"You're forgiven," Anabel choked, "but please. You're crushing my lungs."

Greta flushed with embarrassment and put Anabel down. "I-uh, sorry."

Anabel snickered. "It's cool. You're fine."

May, Anabel, and Greta headed back over to Ash, who was watching Brock and Celio talk about girls. Doris had joined the group, and eyed Happiny as an uneasy Cyndi protectively clutched her Pokémon.

"Well, the gangs all here," Anabel greeted everyone. "What're we gonna do, now?"

A large roar came from the stomachs of two of the individuals.

"I'm starved. Let's eat!" Ash and May both cried out at the same time.

Brock stifled a laugh. "Well, at least one thing hasn't changed."

Ash, his friends, and their Pokémon all had a good laugh as they headed for the Two Island Pokémon Center. The sun set behind them as they entered the building and Ash and May began racing to the cafeteria. Brock rolled his eyes and Doris laughed as Cyndi tried to play catch up with the couple. Celio ogled Greta from a distance, but she was too busy talking to Anabel about what happened.

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves," Anabel halted her. "I'm sure everyone else wants to hear this, too."

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, too. We're probably going to have the action slow down for the next few chapters, but you'll all be okay with that, right? Besides, I bet some of you are confused as all get out over some of the stuff that occured. I hope you come back next week to read the next chapter! I'm off on Spring Break next week, so I'll have plenty of time to write/relax. I just hope my Lappy doesn't break again! Until next time, get Pokémon everybody!****  
**


	17. Food Flight

**Yeah, I know I'm about a day late. I'm on Spring Break, though. Cut me some slack, please? Also, I hope this chapter turned out alright. I tried to catch everything, but I have this feeling that I missed something. Anyway, I hope you like it.**

* * *

Brock finally took his seat after the rest of the rather large party had sat down. Ash and May sat next to each other at the round table in the Pokémon Center's cafeteria. Anabel sat on the other side of Ash, next to Greta. Cyndi sat on May's other side, where Brock took his seat. Celio sat between Greta and Brock, and forced himself to only look at the food on his plate. 

"How's everyone doing this fine evening?" Brock asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the table.

Ash smiled as he patted May on the back. The coordinator growled slightly around Ash to the Frontier Brain he sat next to. Anabel laughed nervously, scooting away from the Pokémon Trainer.

"I-I'm doing much better!" Celio volunteered. "I mean, that cell wasn't comfortable at all."

"And you have Greta to thank for that," Cyndi muttered, swirling her noodles around her fork.

Greta took in a deep breath and sighed. "She's right." The Arena Tycoon turned to Celio. "I'm sorry that that happened to you. I never meant to hurt anyone."

"T-that's fine," Celio blushed at the attention. "But, what was this entire thing about?"

Brock furrowed his eyebrows. "That is rather puzzling."

"Greta," Anabel turned to her, "could you tell us all what this was about?"

Greta looked into Anabel's eyes and swallowed. "I-Okay, I'll tell you what I know," she said. "Scott has a friend that he only tells us is a benefactor for the Battle Frontier. Scott is apparently indebted to this guy pretty hard, so he sorta leased out the Frontier Brains to help his pal with some work that he had."

"Team Rocket?" Ash asked. "This guy Scott knows is with Team Rocket?"

Greta shrugged. "I guess. All I know is that they were looking for something on the island."

"What where they looking for?" Celio asked, wiping his glasses off on his shirt.

"Hold on a second," Greta shot back. "I'd like to know a few things, myself," she said. "You all came in like you knew exactly what to do. What was that about?"

Anabel laughed. "After Ash and the rest of us realized that you all hadn't intended for them to return, we knew that we'd better play this one smart. Everyone knew about my power to control, so we decided to use that knowledge to our advantage and trick the rest of the Rockets and take them by surprise."

"The rest was pretty much winging it," Brock added. "Since none of us had ever been inside that building before, we had no real plan other than take out the leaders."

A drop of sweat ran down Greta's face. "So… I lost to a bunch of kids with no plan?"

"Pretty much!" Cyndi smiled insultingly to Greta. The girl held Happiny in her lap, and the Pokémon laughed, too.

"Everything was unscripted," Anabel patted Greta on the back. "You're just not as good at improvisation as these trainers are."

May stood up and slammed her open palms on the table. "You're certainly good at improv, though!" she shouted at Anabel.

Everyone looked at May with looks of confusion on their faces.

"What?" Anabel said as deadpan as possible.

"You kissed my boyfriend!" May slammed the table again, causing Happiny to cry. "If you think I'm just gonna let it drop, you've got another thing coming!"

As Cyndi coddled her baby Pokémon, Anabel stood up. "Excuse me? I did it to try to keep us from blowing our cover!"

Brock tried to disarm the situation. "Didn't Cyndi already blow our cover by this point?"

Cyndi yanked on Brock's ear. "You don't have to remind everyone, you know," she said, annoyed.

Greta stood up behind Anabel, saying "Oish! It's not her fault. I practically forced her to kiss that twerp!"

May kept her focus on Anabel. "You shouldn't have done that! You know that Ash and I are together!"

"Well, I might know it," Anabel fired back, "but I don't have to like it."

"You…" May growled. "You're unbelievable! I thought we had this settled!"

"So did I!" Anabel raised her voice further. "You just keep bringing it back up!"

"It was settled before we came back here and you kissed Ash!" May continued.

"Oish! I forced her to! It's not Anabel's fault!" Greta tried again to defend Anabel.

"It's her fault for doing it, anyway," Cyndi huffed after recalling her crying Happiny into the Pokéball.

Brock looked over beside May. "Um, guys?"

"It's not right to go kissing other peoples boyfriends!"

"It was for our safety!"

"You know I blew our cover before that!"

"I made her do it! Be angry with me! Oish!"

"She's the one who did it!"

"Guys!" Brock shouted over all of them, causing the group and the rest of the Pokémon Center Cafeteria to become quiet.

All of them looked wide eyed at Brock, except for Celio, who had no part in the argument and continued sipping his tea quietly.

"Wh-what is it, Brock?" May blinked.

"Ash has already left the table," he said, pointing at the empty seat and the full plate between the coordinator and the brain.

Silence filled the air as everyone realized they had scared Ash off with their arguing.

* * *

Ash and Pikachu walked through the woods on Two Island towards Doris' house. He wanted to get away from all the fighting for a moment. 

"Pikapi…" his loyal partner said from his shoulder.

"I know I shouldn't have just slipped out Pikachu," Ash sighed. "I just don't want to be around May and the others while they're just gonna fight. Especially after everything that's happened today."

"Pikachu…" he nodded.

Ash sat next to a tree near the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. The moon was over head, and reflected on the calm waters. Flying Pokémon were sleeping in the trees in the forest, with the exception of the occasional Hoothoot or Noctowl.

"This's been a crazy day, huh buddy?" he asked the Pokémon as he moved from his shoulder to his lap. Ash rubbed Pikachu behind the ears as he spoke. "It's actually been a crazy couple a days, right? We came to the Sevii Islands to battle Scott's new Frontier Brain, but all that's seem to to've happened is us finding the Brains committing crimes."

"Pikachu…" he cooed.

"I remember all of my battles with them, Pikachu," he said, closing his eyes. "Noland and Articuno; Greta and her fighting Pokémon; Tucker and his Fire and Water Combination; Pike Queen Lucy, where you defeated her Milotic; Spenser and his Venusaur when Sceptile lost the ability to use his attacks, and our first encounter with Anabel." He looked down at his partner. "Do you really think she liked me when we first met?"

Pikachu shrugged. "Pikapikachu, Pika pi pikachu Pikaka pikachu, pika."

"I guess that's the toughest part right now," Ash said. "Anabel likes me a lot, so as long as we're hanging out with her, May's gonna keep getting mad and jealous."

Ash had an idea. "That's it! I've got it!"

Pikachu cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Pika? Pikapikachu, Pikapi?"

"C'mon, buddy," Ash put the Pokémon on his shoulder. "Let's go find May."

"Chaa.." the Pokémon sighed. He hoped Ash knew what he was doing.

* * *

May sat in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, waiting for Ash to return. She held her Eevee in her lap to ease her worry, stroking the Pokémon's soft fur. Not that she was overly worried. After all, he had gone training alone in the night before. This was no different. 

Well, something was making this time different.

She looked up at the difference from across the room and quickly diverted her eyes again when she saw the Brain looking up at her from her Espeon.

They hadn't spoken at all since Brock pointed out that Ash had left. The breeder was feeding the rest of the Pokémon and showing off his first Pokémon to Cyndi. Neither of them was ready to apologize yet.

Celio stepped into the room and coughed, but he was ignored. He approached Anabel and asked her where Greta had gone.

"She's using the phone or something," Anabel huffed.

Celio realized he wasn't wanted around, so he made his exit.

"Why are you waiting here?" May finally said. "I'm waiting for Ash to come back. He's my boyfriend."

"Well, I'm waiting so I can apologize for carrying on that loud argument that you started," Anabel defended herself. Her Espeon huffed back at May.

"You know what then?" May sighed. "Just forget it. I'll wait in our room for Ash to come back. Apologize all you want." She took her Eevee and began walking down the hall away from Anabel. "I'm not going to let you pull me into another argument so that Ash gets upset when he comes back."

"Oh, so it's my fault?" Anabel glared at the girl's back.

May ignored her and walked on. She was as tired of the fighting as Ash was, although she didn't know it. May would be sure to apologize alone to Ash once Anabel had left him alone.

May walked in to the Pokémon Center's bedroom to find Brock nursing Bonsly with a bottle and showing Cyndi the proper technique for feeding Baby Pokémon. "Hey guys," she sighed as she slipped onto her bed.

"Hey, May," Brock raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you waiting for Ash?"

"Anabel wanted to wait for him, so I'm just gonna let her," she sighed again. She fell down onto her back and held Eevee on her stomach.

"May, you're not gonna just give up, are you?" Cyndi turned to her, taking the bottle from Happiny's mouth, causing the baby to reach.

"There's no fight," May said. "Ash loves me, and he'd never dump me for Anabel. I'm just going to let her find out for herself." She played with the fluffy fur around Eevee's neck sadly.

"May…" Brock whispered.

"I just wanted to spend some alone time with Ash, ya know?" she sniffled. "I didn't want this entire Frontier Brain thing to happen. I just wanted to have fun. To forget the Battle Frontier, to forget our goals for a while, to just take a vacation." Even though they couldn't see her face as it was away from them, May knew they could tell she was crying.

"Cheer up, May," Brock tried. "Greta said that there's a Pokémon Contest on Four Island. I'm sure appealing in front of a crowd and having fun in the contest battles…" It was becoming apparent that May wasn't interested.

Cyndi sighed. "I guess we just hope that Ash can cheer her up." Happiny reluctantly agreed.

* * *

After Anabel sat alone for a few moments, the doors to the Pokémon Center opened up and a slightly dusty Ash Ketchum stumbled inside, Pikachu still on his shoulder. "Man," the Pallet Trainer wheezed, "I didn't think we'd get that lost." 

"Pikachu," he nodded.

"Ash," Anabel stood up dumping Espeon onto the floor.

"Oh, hey Anabel," he blinked. "Espeon's lookin' a lot better from that smoke she breathed in earlier, huh?"

Anabel looked back over to her Pokémon. "Oh, yes. She's doing much better now. Ash, I-"

"Hey," Ash interrupted her, "have you seen May? I've gotta talk to her."

"Yes, I have, but I need to tell you something, Ash," Anabel stepped in front of him.

"That ya like me?" he blinked. "I already know that. May told me a few days ago, and Pikachu told me, too."

Blushing, startled, but not stumped, Anabel continued. "No, I wanted to apologize for driving you off with that argument that May and I had."

"What fight?" Ash blinked.

"The one we were having at dinner?" she reminded him.

"Oh, I wasn't paying attention," he laughed. "I was too busy eatin'."

Anabel furrowed her brow. "Look, I wanted to apologize, okay? I'm sorry for fighting with May."

"Why are you apologizing to me?" He kept chuckling. "It sounds like you need to apologize to May, and since you know where she went, you must know where she is."

Anabel rolled her eyes. "Well, whatever, I've said what I wanted to," she said. "May's chilling out in the room with Brock and Cyndi, I think."

"Okay, thanks a lot, Anabel," he smiled dumbly before heading around the corner.

Anabel squinted at him. _Very shrewd, Ash Ketchum. You can't fool me. I know that you ran off to get away from the fighting. And I know you're up to something, too._

* * *

"Hey, May!" Ash smiled, entering the room. Pikachu flashed a comparable smile to their favorite coordinator. May sat up and rubbed her eyes clear and held Eevee in her lap. 

"H-hey, Ash," May smiled weakly. "Where'd you go?"

"After eatin' all that food, Pikachu and I needed some fresh air." Ash laughed.

"But, Ash-" Cyndi started. Brock put a hand on her shoulder and discreetly shook his head 'No.'

"So, how was that fresh air?" May asked.

"It was good," he said, plunking down on the bed next to May, causing the girl to bounce. "Hey, guys?" he looked to Brock and Cyndi, "can I talk to May alone?"

"Sure, Ash," Brock stood up, taking a disagreeing Cyndi by the arm and leading her out of the room.

After Brock shut the door, Ash fell backwards and let his stomach growl. Pikachu also rolled off his shoulder, weak from hunger.

"You should have eaten," she ran her hands through his oily, tangled hair.

"I know," he said. "But I couldn't focus on eating with everyone fighting like that.

"I'm surprised that you let something distract you from food, Ash," she smiled at him, letting her cheeks flush.

"I guess even I'm a bit surprised," he laughed at himself, "but I just couldn't stand the thought of my friends all fighting each other."

"So, Anabel's your friend, huh?" May took her hands away from him and placed them in her lap.

"Well, yeah," Ash said. "But so is just about everyone else we've met on our journey. There's a special place in my heart for my very best friends, and an even better one for you an' Pikachu."

"I'm glad," she said, letting her head fall onto Ash's stomach. Ash coughed and groaned, causing the coordinator to jump. "Oh, Ash, I'm sorry!"

"It's not your fault," he laughed, holding his stomach in pain. "I'm the one who didn't eat." Pikachu let out a similar groan.

"Well, why not go to the cafeteria and get something to eat?" May asked.

"Because I want to ask you something," he said, sitting up. Ash locked his auburn eyes on May's sapphire beauties. "May, I think we should leave tonight."

"What?" May blinked. "What do you mean? Shouldn't we be discussing this with Brock and Cyndi?"

Ash shook his head. "No, we need to leave tonight. Alone."

May flushed deep red. "Really? Us, alone together?"

Ash smiled. "I thought you'd like it," he said. "I thought that the best way to get you all to stop fighting would be to get you away from everyone else."

May threw her arms around the Pallet Town trainer. "Oh, Ash, that's all I've wanted from the beginning!"

Ash felt himself flush. "Well, I uh… I didn't know that," he smiled, chuckling.

May stuck her tongue out at him. "You're so cute when you don't know things, ya know, Ashy?"

Ash grinned back. "We better leave during the night, though. Brock'll try to stop us, and I don't want anyone following us, okay?"

"My lips are sealed," May grinned before she pecked him on the cheek. "C'mon, now," she took him by the hand. "let's fill that belly up. We're gonna have a long night."

* * *

Nurse Joy made sure that the ratio of people to beds in a room was 1:1, so May had no convenient excuse to snuggle up with Ash. While Anabel smiled at that, it meant sharing a room with Greta and, much more to her distaste, Celio, whom she wasn't really keen to sharing a room with. She waited until about 2:00 in the morning and began sneaking out of the top bunk (Greta had the bottom, and Celio was in an entirely different bed completely). She heard Greta mutter her name in her sleep, but thought nothing of it and moved on. The Salon Maiden snuck out the door, but left it cracked so she could just as silently sneak in. The door across the hall held Ash and the rest of his party, but as she snuck closer to the door, she heard some giggling from the lobby. 

"Ash, we're so bad, you know that?"

A clanging of a soda can out of a machine rang though the hallway.

"I know, but it'll be really fun. Let's get a few more sodas before we head out."

"Pikachu!"

"Okay, Pikachu, we'll get some candy bars, too."

Anabel slunk silently down the hall. Poking her head around the corner, she saw Ash, May, and Pikachu all standing in front of the vending machines, gathering 'supplies' for a trip. "But a trip to where?" Anabel asked herself.

Stepping into her room as quietly as possible, she slipped into her shoes. Greta was drooling, but not snoring. Anabel had forgotten how sound a sleeper her friend was. Smiling to her for only a moment, Anabel slid back out of the room to make sure not to lose Ash and May's trail.

Luckily for her, the couple hadn't moved an inch, other than gathering more sodas and candy. "We better get some bottled water, too," May said. "We'll need to brush our teeth after eating all these sweets."

"Okay," Ash laughed, pressing the button for 'Fresh Water' on the machine.

"So, we've got 5 lemonades," May began taking account, "6 soda pops, and a water for brushing teeth."

"What could they need all that stuff for?" Anabel questioned.

"Alright, and Pikachu's got like 8 candy bars," Ash added. "We should be good until we get there."

"Where are they going?" Anabel fumed to herself.

Ash picked up his pack and put the weighted item on. He looked around for a moment. "What is it, Ash?" May asked him.

"I feel like someone's watchin' us," he said. Anabel gulped.

"Oh, this is so cool," May squealed. "It's exciting, sneaking around, ya know?"

Ash chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Ya know," May slid up to his side, "all this intrigue is kinda attractive, if ya know what I mean." She fluttered her eyelashes at Ash, causing him to blush back.

"Well, let's go. The longer we stay here, the more likely Brock wakes up from one of his dreams and finds us missing," he responded. "No sense getting caught or anything."

They left the Pokémon Center and headed down the road. Anabel built up her courage quickly, and headed out the door following them. The Frontier Brain kept her distance, ducking behind buildings, the bazaar tents, and other objects on their way to the dock.

"I can't believe this boat is still here," May laughed.

"Yeah," Ash smiled. "I figured that the owner would have come for it by now."

"Well, maybe it was an abandoned boat," May shrugged.

The couple sat down in the boat before Ash called out his Totodile. The Big Jaw Pokémon was harnessed up and began treading water away from the port.

Anabel felt her jaw drop, but remained silent as the couple left the island. She stepped back and blinked a few times, returned to the Pokémon Center, and went back to sleep. She knew that in the morning, everyone else would want to know where the young couple went, and Anabel had the only clue.

* * *

**So, Ash and May are on they're own again. How will Brock and Cyndi take the news? Do Ash and May even know where they're going? I guess you'll have to come back next time. Same Poké-Time, Same Poké-Channel.**

**Hmm, on second thought, forget about Pokemon Channel. I think some things are best forgotten.  
**


	18. Dividing Thy Hero

**And now, updates are back on track. The perk of being back at college is that I don't have quiet as many video games to play to distract me. Although, I still have some stuff to do on Sapphire, FireRed, and Emerald to prepare for Diamond. Less than a Month, fellow Americans. I hope everyone else has fun, too.**

* * *

It was a quite a bit after dawn when Cyndi awoke from her slumber. It seemed that everyone wanted to have a longer sleep, even the usually energetic Ash. The girl curled back under the covers and clinched her eyes shut, trying to return to sleep in the quiet room.

"Happi…" she heard her Pokémon chirping at the bedside. Cyndi turned over and saw that Happiny was tugging at Ash's covers across the room. The trainer was curled up under the covers, and Pikachu didn't seem to be visible from her current angle.

Groaning, Cyndi slipped out of bed and quietly picked up Happiny. "Shhh," she whispered. "Don't wake 'em up. I wanna sleep some more."

"Happi," the Pokémon tugged at Ash's covers again. The Baby Pokémon wouldn't let go of the covers as Cyndi tugged on the Pokémon.

"C'mon," Cyndi grunted, pulling sharply on the baby again. "Let it go. You're gonna wake 'em up."

"Happi!" she chirped again, this time tugging sharply on the covers.

Cyndi fell backwards with Happiny in her arms. Ash's covers were pulled off and fell back onto the young girl.

"Oh, great," muttered the girl. "Look what you did. We're gonna get in trouble, now."

"Happi!" The Pokémon squirmed out of her trainer's arms and from under the blanket.

Cyndi tossed the blanket off of her head and glared at Happiny. The Pokémon pointed to Ash's bed.

Cyndi's jaw dropped when she saw the pillows that were stuffed under the blanket, giving the illusion of a person inside.

Panicking, the girl slipped out of the room quietly, and dashed down to the cafeteria. "He's just gotta be there," she thought out loud.

* * *

"Ugh," May groaned, chocolate coloring her lips.

"Maybe we should have gotten some food that was better for us," Ash groaned back.

"Pikachu…" the Electric-type agreed.

Totodile continued to pull the boat. The Big Jaw Pokémon had a lot of energy built up, and their night-time cruise had almost brought them to a small island in the distance.

"I wonder what that place is called?" Ash blinked, looking over the horizon.

May took a folded map out of her green pack and flipped it open. "Hey," she jumped. "That looks like Four Island!"

"Four Island?" Ash blinked. "Do any of these places have names that aren't numbers?"

May glanced over the map. "Well, they seem like the islands are named, but the towns just go in numerical order."

"That's weird," Ash sighed. "I wonder what made them decide to name them after numbers?"

"Wait, we're going to Four Island, right?" May rechecked. "Brock said that there's a Pokémon Contest on the island soon."

"Well, I guess we can do that," Ash smiled. "Although I hope we can do something together instead of battling each other."

May shrugged. "Well, beggars can't be choosers."

Ash grinned. "Alright, Totodile, let's head for that Four Island!"

Totodile leapt from the water for a moment, dancing playfully before starting to pull them further towards Four Island.

* * *

"Ash! Are you in here?" Cyndi shouted at the empty cafeteria. Apparently, no one was eating in the entire center. Cyndi ran back towards to the room and began shouting. "May, Brock! Ash is gone!"

Brock rubbed his eyes and sat up. "What is it, Cyndi?"

"Ash is gone!" she repeated herself. "He's not still in bed, nor is he in the cafeteria eating!"

Brock looked over to May, who was still curled up under the covers. "Well, May's still here, so he couldn't have gone far."

Cyndi furrowed her eyebrow. She scrambled up the bunk bed and yanked away May's covers. Sure enough, the Pokémon Coordinator was no where to be seen.

"What?" Brock's adrenaline pumped and forced him awake. "Both Ash and May are missing?"

Cyndi hopped down. "We better go ask Aunt Joy if she knows where they are. Maybe they told her where they're going."

* * *

"Here we are," Ash smiled. "Four Island." He picked his tired Water-Type up in his arms. "You did awesome, Totodile." He smiled to his Johto-native Pokémon.

"Pikachu," Ash's partner also commended his comrade.

May smiled at him, as well. "Thank you so much, Totodile," she said. May gave Totodile a peck on the end of his nose, causing the Water-Type to blush.

Ash recalled his Pokémon into the ball. "I think we better take Totodile to the Pokémon Center. He's gonna need plenty of rest and care."

"And after that," May smiled, "let's scope out the town and see if we can find that Contest Hall."

"Maybe," Ash held his stomach. "But I'm kinda hungry for some real food, first."

"Well, we could also check out the local cuisine," May offered.

"That sounds really good," Ash nodded. "How's that sound to you, Pikachu?"

"Pikapika!" Pikachu smiled in agreement.

"Great!" May clasped her hands together. "Now lets take care of Totodile."

* * *

"I'm sorry, Cyndi," Joy frowned. "But I haven't seen them at all since last night when I tucked you in."

Cyndi flushed with embarrassment due to her protective aunt.

"Are there any cameras we could check or anyone on duty during the night?" Brock asked.

"Well, Chansey was on duty last night like every night," Joy said. "But you might have a hard time getting any information from a Pokémon like that."

"This isn't like them," Brock folded his arms. "They wouldn't just disappear like this."

"But they did," Anabel stepped around the corner into the Pokémon Center's lobby. "I saw them last night when they fled the island."

"You saw them and didn't stop them?" Brock fumed in a way very uncharacteristic of himself. "Where did they go?"

Anabel shrugged. "I wish I knew. I woke up during the night and I saw them sneaking off. I followed them down to the harbor, where they took was looked like a small motorboat and had Ash's Totodile pull them out."

Brock snapped his fingers. "That must have been the boat Ash and May used to come to Two Island in the first place."

"I don't know what could have possessed them to just up and leave," Anabel said. "But we should probably go looking for them."

"Why?" Cyndi asked. "It was rude for them to just ditch us, but if they wanna be alone, there's nothing we can do about it."

Anabel looked to Brock. "How many Frontier Brains are there?" she asked him.

Brock raised an eyebrow. "There's eight, right? The seven Ash battled in Kanto, and this new guy Scott told them about before they came here."

"Well, I've never heard of an eighth Brain," Anabel raised an eyebrow. "I was just asking the question to make it plain that there are more Frontier Brains out there. At least four others. And this "Eight Frontier Brain" worries me. Ash and May could be in serious trouble if we don't find them, fast."

"I'll ask other Joys if they've seen Ash, May, or any of their Pokémon," the Pokémon Nurse volunteered.

"Great," Brock sighed with relief. "Now we've just gotta find out where they are.

* * *

"Please take good care of Totodile, okay Nurse Joy?" Ash handed the pink-haired nurse the Lure Ball.

Joy smiled. "I sure will, Ash. You can count on me."

As the nurse turned back to her computer, May pulled Ash aside. "Now we can go find someplace to eat! I'm starving, too, now."

Pikachu chuckled at the human trainers as Ash and May began heading into the town. Four Island seemed like a resort city. The beach seemed crowded as Ash and May walked by. "Maybe later," Ash told her. "Don't you want to enter the Pokémon Contest?"

"I sure do," May clinched her fists. "Lets find that Contest Hall next."

"You've got it," Ash said.

The couple turned away from the beach and headed into the larger parts of the city. In the middle of the city square, there was a round, red building, decorated with bright ribbons. As Ash and May stepped closer, the ribbons seemed to be made of concrete and painted yellow as they encircled the building. Large glass double doors with red and white Pokéball insignias welcomed our heroes as they entered the Contest Hall.

The Hall seemed rather bare. No other trainers were present, nor other Pokémon. A man with shoulder length hair looked up from his papers. He was startled by the children's appearance and stood up.

"Welcome, youngsters," he said as his behind his bushy moustache and thick glasses. "Are you all going to sign up for that Pokémon Contest tomorrow?"

"You bet," May smiled. "May I have a sign up sheet, please?

"You must not be familiar with the rules of the Four Island Contest," he snickered. "Trainers have to enter as a pair, each using the same-type of Pokémon. Other than that, we use the same rules that the Kanto Region does. So you can use different Pokémon in the appeal and battle rounds."

"I guess that means we'll both enter the contest on the same ticket," Ash smiled. "I guess we're lucky we don't have to battle again."

May smiled as the man handed her a sheet. "I'm glad we can team up this time, Ash. Together, we're undefeatable!"

"But you heard what he said," Ash said as they stepped over to a desk to fill out the form. "We have to use the same-type of Pokémon."

"Hmm…" May tapped the pen on the desk against the desk. "I have Blaziken, Munchlax, Eevee, Skitty, and Beautifly," she said.

"And I have Pikachu, Sceptile, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Muk and Aipom," Ash said.

"Well, we have a Fire Pokémon set and a Normal Pokémon set," May noted. "You'd have to use Cyndaquil with my Blaziken, and Aipom with either Skitty, Eevee, or Munchlax."

"Well, we should use our Fire Pokémon in the Battle Round," Ash said. "I think Aipom may need a bit more training before I put her in a major battle, but I'm sure we could appeal well."

May marked down Blaziken and Cyndaquil as their entry on the paper. "Now I just have to decide on which of my Normal-Type Pokémon I'm gonna use."

"Well, it's been a while since Skitty's been in a contest," Ash said. "I'm sure she'd like to have fun on a stage again."

"That's right," May smiled. "I'll enter Skitty along side Aipom."

"Sounds good," Ash smiled. "We'll have to put in some training later to make sure everyone's ready for the contest."

"After we eat, of course," May winked at him as she stood up and walked over to the man behind the counter.

"Of course," Ash chuckled.

"Pikapika!" Pikachu added.

She handed him the paper and the couple left the Contest Hall in search of something to eat.

* * *

"Cyndi, Brock, I've got something!" Joy shouted to them. The large group of Brock, Cyndi, Anabel, Greta, and Celio all rushed into the Pokémon Center's lobby.

"What is it, Nurse Joy?" Brock asked. "Did you find Ash and May?"

"My twin sister on Four Island tells me that two trainers signed in earlier this morning, and left a Totodile with her," Joy said.

"That must be Ash's Totodile," Brock brought his palm and fist together.

"That mean's Anabel's story is the truth," Cyndi blinked.

Anabel raised an eyebrow. "You had doubt?"

Cyndi turned away. "Well, we all know how you feel about Ash," she said, cluching Happiny. "I personally didn't think you were above lying to us for your gain."

Anabel gritted her teeth at the child. "Chill out, Annie," Greta slapped the unsuspecting girl on the back. "I knew you where right all along. Let's go catch up with 'em on Four Island."

"I should probably get going home, too," Celio said. "I need to finish the Network Machine." At that, Greta stopped laughing and turned pale. "The calibrations were about done; I should be able to connect to Kanto and their network in just a few days." Celio took one last look at the Arena Tycoon. "I-uh, I hope you'll look me up if you're ever on One Island in the future, Miss…"

"Greta," she gulped. "Just Greta. No miss."

"Alright then, Greta," he smiled. "I hope I see you again."

After Celio left the Pokémon Center, Greta let out a sigh of relief. "What's wrong, Greta?" Anabel asked, blinking.

"He's gonna need to do a bit more than 'fix the calibrations' to get that hunk of junk working, if you know what I mean," she laughed nervously.

Anabel's eyes narrowed. "What did you do, Greta?" she asked accusingly.

"I-uh, I was sort of order to kinda… bust up his machine…" Greta kept laughing.

Anabel sighed. "Wonderful," she said. "That poor nerd's gonna have a heat attack when he sees what you did."

"Well," Brock tried to get everyone together, "that's all water under the bridge now. Let's catch a ferry to Four Island and catch up with Ash and May.

* * *

"This looks like a nice restaurant," May said as she and Ash stepped through the expensive doors.

"I hope they have some good food here," Ash said, disrupting the waiting people who were reading their newspapers. The couple stepped up to a small podium where someone seemed to be taking reservations.

"Greetings, sir and madam," the squinty eyed man said, looking over the podium at them. "May I help you?"

"Yeah," Ash smiled. "Can I have a reservation for two people and a Pokémon?" he asked, indicating himself, May, and Pikachu when appropriate.

"I'm sorry sir," said the man as he turned up his nose and back his well groomed, slicked black hair. "We don't serve Pokémon in this establishment," he pointed to the Pokémon on Ash's shoulder.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Well, why not?" he asked. "Pokémon need to eat, too."

"This is a restaurant for people, sir," he said, indicating the door behind him. "It says clearly on the glass next to the door that Pokémon aren't allowed. You shouldn't even be allowed to stand here."

"So you're not gonna serve us just because I have a Pokémon?" Ash raised his voice to the man, causing Pikachu to jump from May to Ash.

"Ash," May tugged at his arm. "Maybe you should calm down."

"Pikapi…" the Pokémon in question lowered his ears.

"Of course we'll still serve you," the man behind the podium responded. "You'll just need to stick that _thing_ back in its ball."

"Pikachu's not a _thing_, and he hates going inside Pokéballs," Ash shouted at the man, getting increasingly angry.

"That sounds like a problem with your discipline, not a problem with out establishment's policy," the man smirked.

"Ash, lets just go," May whispered. "We can go find somewhere else."

"Pikapi, pikachu…" Pikachu added

Ash shot one more nasty look at the man before leading May out of the Restaurant.

"I can't believe that!" Ash huffed as he and May walked down the road, looking for another restaurant. "'No Pokémon Allowed'? How does a place like that even stay open?"

"Ash, don't you think you're blowing this a little out of proportion?" May asked. "I mean, it was just one res-"

"Pikachu's my best friend, May," Ash shot at her. "I've never had some place not let him in with me. It makes me mad, those guys back there thinkin' they're better than he is."

"But, Ash, you know there are some people that just can't stand Pokémon," May placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've never gotten angry at them before."

Ash took in a deep breath and let it out. "Sorry May," he said. "I know I've never let it get to me before. But he called Pikachu a _thing_. Like he's an object. My best friend isn't an object."

"Pikapi…" Pikachu sighed from May's shoulder.

"Let's just focus on finding a new place to eat, okay?" May rubbed Ash's back. "We shouldn't let one silly group of people get us down."

"You're right, May," he smiled. "Thanks."

"Hey, I'll be thanking you when the bill comes," May joked.

"Yoohoo!" A woman called to the couple from across the street. Her long hair was up in a bun. She sat in a rocking chair on the deck of a building, holding a small, white Pokémon in her lap. "Did I hear you kids having problems finding a place to eat?" she asked them.

Ash and May looked both ways, and then crossed the road. May stepped up. "Yes we are, ma'am," she said. "The restaurant we were just in wouldn't let us take Pikachu in with us."

The Meowth in the woman's lap rolled over as she began rubbing his belly. "Well," the woman said. "We've got us a nice restaurant right here, isn't that right, Meowthy-poo?

"Meow," the Pokémon purred as the woman rubbed his stomach.

"Does that mean we can eat here?" Ash asked. "And we can take Pikachu inside with us?"

"Of course," the woman smiled. "Anything for some travelers."

"Wait, how did you know that we're travelers?" May asked.

The woman coughed, then laughed, saying "Well, it's obvious from the strange way you're dressed that you're from out of town. Or in this case, off of island."

"Well, anyway," Ash smiled, "thank you for telling us. This looks like a nice place, doesn't it May?"

May overlooked the building again. It seemed to be made entirely of wood, and it didn't have a paint job. The windows on the second floor were dusty, and the rest of the building also seemed unkempt. "Uh, sure," she half smiled.

"Oh, and aren't you the cutest Pikachu," the woman stepped out of the chair and affixed her blue eyes on the yellow Pokémon, making him feel uncomfortable. "And you look so strong, too," she noted.

Her Meowth coughed, being left lying on the ground where he was dropped after his trainer got up. "Oopsie-daisy," the woman laughed, running back over to her Pokémon. "I got so excited that I forgot that you where here!"

The Normal-type groaned in his native tongue, and caused May to giggle.

"What's up, May?" Ash asked.

"Well, after seeing Team Rocket's Meowth so many times," she explained, "I almost expected this one to start talking, too."

"Hey, that's a good one," Ash laughed as they followed to woman and her Pokémon inside.

She sat them down at a table, and asked them to order whatever they wanted. "You too kids seem so hungry," she said. "Just let me know and I'll fix it right up."

"Well, I want a cheeseburger!" Ash grinned. "What do you want, Pikachu?" he asked the Pokémon as he hopped off May's shoulder.

Pikachu thought for a moment, but then just took the ketchup bottle off table.

"Well, I guess I should have expected that," May laughed.

"What do you want to eat, May?" Ash asked, smiling.

"You know, I haven't decided yet," she said, nothing the room. All of the tables seemed rather dusty, and cobwebs were forming in the rafters of the building. There was no second floor, just a really high roof. May could still see the dust in the windows far above her head. The place still smelled like the wood that was used to build it, and nearly everything in the building was made from wood. "Do you have ramen?" she finally asked after surveying the entire room.

"I think we might have some," the woman noted on her pad and rushed back behind a wall to what was presumably the kitchen.

May lowered her head. "Ash, don't you think this is a bit weird?" the coordinator spoken softly.

Ash looked up from watching Pikachu lap at the ketchup. "What? What's a bit weird?"

"This lady seems really familiar, and she's offering to give us food for free," May said. "And this place looks more like a saloon than a restaurant."

"Aren't those both kind of the same?" Ash blinked.

"Well, maybe," May put her finger on her chin. "But… I dunno, something strikes me as weird."

"What strikes you as weird, young lady?" the woman asked as she brought in some glasses. "I thought that you'd like some water while you waited."

"Sure," Ash smiled.

"T-thank you very much," May said, unsure of herself.

"Now, I'm gonna go check on how your food's doing. The chef here is remarkable," the woman cackled as she left the room.

"Okay," May blinked. "Now I'm sure something weird is going on."

"Oh, you're just being paranoid," Ash said. "We haven't seen Team Rocket since we blasted 'em off back on One Island."

"And how did you know that I was thinking about Team Rocket?" May asked in a hushed voice.

"I-uh didn't?" Ash furrowed his eyebrow.

"Then why did you say Team Rocket?" May asked back.

Ash shrugged. "I guess it's because this-"

"-Woman reminds me of Jessie from Team Rocket!" May started up as Ash continued talking, each of them saying the same thing word for word.

Ash laughed. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence," he said.

May decided to drop the issue, but she wasn't so sure. Something about this building, no, this island made her uncomfortable.

Out on a Seagallop ferry headed straight for Four Island, Brock, Cyndi, Anabel, and Greta where all prepared to search for Ash and May, as well as give them a harsh reprimand for leaving them behind. But with Anabel's warning that more Frontier Brains could be in the Sevii Islands, they might have to save them, first!

* * *

**dramatic pause**

** See you next week!  
**


	19. Putting a Damper on Things!

**Okay, I probably ticked some people off about my April Fool's Day prank, and I'm sorry. It's been removed and put in a seperate story. For those of you who missed it, check my profile. I hope you enjoy this chapter, which is one hundred percent genuine.**

* * *

"Here you are, kids," the woman brought a plate and a bowl to Ash and May. In the bowl was steaming hot ramen in a chicken broth, while on Ash's plate was a cheeseburger stacked high with lettuce, tomato, and pickles.

"Wow," Ash blinked.

"Thank you very much, ma'am," May smiled to the woman as she pulled up a chair across from Pikachu.

"So, what're you kids doing on quiet little Four Island," she asked innocently. "Not much is going on here besides the Pokémon Contest."

"That's why we're here," May smiled. "We're kinda on a vacation, so we came here to compete in the contest."

The woman smiled. "Have you already registered?" she asked, leaning forward.

Ash nodded. "Yup," he said, "but we were surprised when we heard about the rule where you have to team up."

The woman smiled. "Well, it's because Four Island's Contest isn't a conventional one," she said. "We're not part of any Grand Festival, so we're free to make up our own rules to go along with them." She grinned again and looked over at Pikachu. "Are you using that cute Pikachu over there in the contest?" she asked.

Ash shook his head. "No, ma'am. According to the rules, we have to use the same type of Pokémon, and Pikachu's the only Electric-Pokémon between us."

"Pikachu!" he smiled, raising his clenched fist into the air.

"So, who are you using?" she asked, curious.

"Well, we decided to use Normal-Type Pokémon in the Appeals round," May tapped her chopsticks against the bowl. "So I'm using my Skitty, and Ash is using his Aipom."

"Then what Pokémon are you using in the Battle Round?" the woman asked.

Ash finished off his burger and took a gulp of water. "We're using Fire-Type Pokémon. May's got an awesome Blaziken, and I'm using my Cyndaquil. Speaking of which," he said, rising, "we need to get some practice in before the Contest tomorrow."

May slurped up the rest of her noodles. "That's right," she said. "Thank you very much, ma'am. How much do we owe you?"

"It's nothing," she waved her hand. "It was just warming to me to see such a happy couple and to have someone to talk to."

Ash, though surprised, smiled. "Well, thank you again," he said. "We better get going." Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder as he and May began on their way out. "See you again, soon! And say goodbye to your Meowth for us!" Ash waved as they stepped though the door.

"Sooner than you think," she smiled

* * *

"Where are we going to check, first?" Greta asked when they stepped out of the port.

"Hey!" Cyndi pointed. "I see their boat!"

Sure enough, there was a small, unmanned motor boat sitting in the harbor.

Brock nodded. "Then they must be on the island."

"But where on the island?" Anabel asked.

"Well, they're probably somewhere eating," Brock said. "If I know Ash and May, they went out to eat after letting Totodile rest at the Pokémon Center."

"So, we need to check the restaurants," Anabel said.

"Oish!" Greta shouted. "Let's get checking!"

* * *

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Ash said, taking back the Lure Ball.

"It's no problem, Ash," Joy smiled. "Oh, I just remembered," she continued. "My sister on Two Island said that your friends are looking for you, so I told her that you all were here."

Ash and May snapped back. "Brock and everyone else is coming?" May asked in a hushed voice.

"Don't they think we can take care of ourselves?" Ash blinked.

"Well, we better get going," May whispered. "The Pokémon Center is likely to be the first place they check."

Ash nodded, and after thanking Joy again, the couple ran out of the Pokémon Center.

* * *

"Yes, I saw your short tempered friend and his Pikachu," the slick haired man said.

"Is he here?" Brock asked, hopeful.

"I'm afraid not, sir," he responded. "After I told him that his Pikachu wasn't allowed, he blew up in my face, and his sister told him to calm down. Then he left in a huff."

Brock blinked for a moment. "Well, thank you anyway, sir," he said.

The girls waited outside for Brock to return. Greta and Anabel leaned on the railing on the opposite sides of the door, with Cyndi sitting on the same rail as Anabel, holding Happiny closely.

"No dice," Brock sighed as he stepped out the door.

"Really?" Anabel asked. "Not here, either?"

"Well, they were here," Brock said, "but Ash got angry and left since they won't allow Pokémon inside."

"I see…" Anabel put her hand on her chin. "I guess we need to keep searching, then.

Greta stood up. "Oish! We just need to keep at it!"

The group all nodded as they began heading down the road.

* * *

"I told you we'd hit the beach," Ash smiled as he and May stepped onto the sands.

May sighed. "Well, training wasn't the first thing that came to mind when we talked about going to the beach. I kinda wanted to come and have fun."

"Training can be fun," Ash furrowed his eyebrows. "C'mon, I'm sure we can make a game out of it."

"Well, we're gonna train anyway, right?" she laughed. "Might as well do it on the beach."

The further the couple walked, the more apparent that they were clothed improperly for the weather. "It's really hot here," Ash laughed.

"Maybe we should change into our swim suits?" May asked. "I mean, we are on a beach, and all."

"That sounds like a good idea," Ash said. "Hey, why don't we let our Pokémon enjoy the beach, too?"

"Sure," May smiled. She reached into her bag and tossed out her five Pokéballs. Ash laughed as he added his five, as well. In a brilliant flash, Blaziken, Munchlax, Eevee, Skitty, Beautifly, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Muk, Sceptile, and Aipom all appeared. "Now, you all enjoy the beach, okay?" May smiled.

"Cyndaquil," Ash hunkered down hear his Fire-Type. "You stay around here with Blaziken. After May and I get changed, we're gonna do some training, okay?"

"Cyndaquil!" The Pokémon smiled and hugged Ash's arm.

"Okay," he smiled. "We'll be right back.

Pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulder to stay with the rest of the Pokémon as the two trainer walked over to a changing room. Pikachu began walking down the sand to just where the waves broke against the water, and let the cool ocean brush against his feet. Skitty and Eevee both followed him into the sand as Totodile dashed passed them and into the ocean for a swim. Pikachu began digging into the sand with his paws, trying to dig a hole in the sand. Eevee motioned for Pikachu to move, and then dug a deep hole in the sand with her Dig technique. Huffing, Skitty said that she could do that, too, but when she tried her Assist to copy Dig, she ended up firing off Shadow Balls, instead, which Pikachu and Eevee only nimbly dodged.

Blaziken sat down in the warm sand next to Cyndaquil and began getting acquainted with Ash's Johto Fire-type. The shy Cyndaquil, however, wasn't forthcoming with details, and mostly asked Blaziken questions about herself. Sceptile watched from a distance out of one eye as he did some sunbathing on the beach.

Aipom and Munchlax headed towards a tree on the beach that seemed to be growing fruit. Smiling, Aipom scampered up the tree and grabbed the large, round item that was hanging from the tree with her tail. Pulling on it, Aipom managed to get the large, brown nut off the tree. Try as she might, though, Aipom has no luck pulling the nut apart. Knowing that he could get a cut of the food, Munchlax offered his services to the Long Tail Pokémon. She, however, already knew of his motive and respectfully declined. She continued to try to pull it apart with her clumsy hands to no avail. Sighing, she handed the nut to the waiting Big Eater Pokémon. Using his superior strength, Munchlax easily cracked the nut open and in half, causing a liquid to start seeping out. Aipom quickly snatched half of the nut away and began drinking the liquid. Munchlax smiled and thanked her for her business, and silently walked off with the larger half of the nut.

Muk just rested, watching Beautifly ride the sea breeze peacefully. The Butterfly Pokémon waved down to Ash's Poison-Type, and he waved back.

Ash and May returned to their Pokémon. May in her pink bikini, and Ash in his blue swimming trunks.

"Alright," Ash smiled to Cyndaquil. "Are you ready for some training?"

"Cynda!" he jumped off, breaking off conversation with Blaziken.

"I hope you're ready, too, Blaziken," May smiled.

"Blaze!" her Pokémon flexed her arms, and shot fire from her wrists.

May turned to Ash. "I'm not even sure what kind of training we're going to so, though," she said.

"Oh, I know," Ash said. He motioned for the Pokémon to follow them. He walked passed Pikachu and the rest of the Pokémon towards the ocean. Timid at first, Cyndaquil followed his trainer towards the waves as they got increasingly larger.

As a wave began approaching, Ash pointed to it. "Cyndaquil!" Ash shouted. "Break that wave with your Flamethrower!"

Obeying instructions, Cyndaquil lit his back and kept it over the water. Opening his small mouth as wide as he could, Cyndaquil shot a stream of fire at the wave, breaking through it. The broken wave fell sooner than it should have, and the water quickly receded.

"That looks fun," May smiled. When the next wave began approaching, she shouted. "Blaziken, use your Fire Spin on that wave!"

Blaziken opened her beak and shot out the intense, spinning flames. The wave was swallowed up in the fire, and disappeared.

"That was awesome, Blaziken!" May shouted.

Ash and May continued trading hits against the waves, sometimes getting slightly larger waves than before, other times getting shorter waves.

"Hey, Ash," May pointed towards the horizon. "Look at that wave!"

A huge wave had formed at sea, and was quickly approaching the island. "Think we can handle this one?" Ash challenged.

"No doubt!" May smiled back.

"Blaziken, use Overheat!" May called out.

"Cyndaquil, full power Flamethrower!" Ash shouted.

Both Pokémon fired their intensely heated moves at the huge wave, but they didn't seem to effect it. "I think the water's waging a counter attack!" May giggled, running up the beach.

"No problem," Ash smiled, following her. "Alright, now get ready to jump!"

Cyndaquil and Blaziken watched the wave closely as it roared closer.

"Now!" Both trainers shouted at the same time.

Blaziken shot upwards with her powerful legs, easily clearing the wave. Cyndaquil, however, was a few feet short of clearing the wave completely. "Cyndaquil!" Ash shouted, "aim your Flamethrower at the ground to shoot yourself up!"

Cyndaquil opened up and fired a Flamethrower down, propelling himself in to the air. The Fire Mouse Pokémon successfully cleared the wave. As he fell, Ash ran under him and caught his Pokémon. "That was awesome, Cyndaquil! You've gotten really strong!" he laughed as he held him up.

"Cynda, Cynda!" the Pokémon laughed.

"You wanna try again?" Ash asked as the Pokémon nodded.

May stood back and watched, a smile growing on her face. "Just like his own kids," she mused. "He'll be a great dad someday."

Ash sat Cyndaquil back down and returned next to May, and the training resumed. Before long, another huge wave came up and threatened the beach. Pikachu, Eevee, and Skitty all retreated. Totodile had already returned to the beach on a previous wave and was burned by Cyndaquil, so he just sat and watched.

The flames expelled by Blaziken and Cyndaquil were again, no match for the towering power of the wave. "Cyndaquil, jump it like you did before!" Ash ordered. Cyndaquil did as he was told, clearing the wave just as he did before.

At the apex of his climb, however, a large, glass orb snapped closed around the Pokémon and snatched him up and away.

"What the…?" Ash's jaw dropped as he followed the line up to a familiar Meowth-shaped balloon. "Oh, not now!"

"Prepare for trouble on the beach!" the familiar woman shouted.

"An' make it double, an' outta yer reach!" the Scratch-Cat Pokémon spoke the next line.

"An evil as old as the galaxy!" Jessie posed with Meowth.

"Sent here ta fulfill our destiny!" Meowth hopped up to the side.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" Jessie tossed Meowth into the air.

"Ta extend our reach ta da stars above!" Meowth landed safely back in the basket of the balloon.

"Jessie!"

"And Meowth are da names!"

"Anywhere there's peace in the universe…"

"…Team Rocket will be dere…"

"…to make everything worse!" they pointed at the twerps.

Jessie held up the orb that contained Ash's Fire-Type. "Oh, that was really easy! We should go Poképicking like this more often!"

"Team Rocket, gimme back Cyndaquil!" Ash shouted.

May tilted her head. "Um, aren't you missing someone?" she asked Jessie.

Jessie huffed. "James is busy on another assignment," she said. "Besides, we don't need more than me to handle you twerps."

"And she don't need more than Meowth ta stop her from screwin' it up!" the Normal-Type added.

"Wobbuffet!" Jessie's Pokémon added.

"Give back Cyndaquil, Team Rocket!" Ash shouted. "Aren't you guys normally after Pikachu, anyway?" he asked.

"Can't let that one get away!" Meowth sneered. He produced another extending glove. The hand shot down quickly and wrapped around Pikachu and began scooping him away from the rest of the Pokémon. Eevee and Skitty both held onto the glove to slow it down, digging their paws as deep into the sand as possible to hold it still.

"Get off, ya twerpy Pokémon!" Meowth insulted, shaking the extending arm. The shaking managed to knock off the loose grips of Eevee and Skitty, but as it was retracting, Sceptile leapt up in a flash, cutting the arm in twain. The loose part fell softly back into the sand, and Pikachu wrestled out of the fingers.

Jessie pressed a button on a controller, causing jets to come out of the sides of the balloon basket. "Let's cut our losses and cut out of here. We only need the twerp's Cyndaquil."

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted, "knock 'em down with Thunder!" Pikachu leapt from the ground and called down a massive lightning bolt towards the balloon.

"Defensive countermeasure!" Jessie shouted.

"Countermeasure away!" Meowth held up the extending arm with Cyndaquil in it. He threw the ball containing Ash's Pokémon at the incoming lightning. The bolt stuck the ball, the current pulsing through Cyndaquil's tiny body.

"Cyndaquil!" Ash called out, his eyes widening.

"Cyndaquil took the entire charge?" May gasped.

The extending arm caught the orb before it could fall too far, snatching the injured Cyndaquil back up and into the balloon.

"Sceptile!" Ash shouted, "shoot some holes in that balloon with Bullet Seed!"

Jessie quickly mashed a button, activating the jets. The balloon jerked higher into the air, out of range of the Bullet Seed Sceptile was attempting. "Darn it!" Ash shouted. "We can't let them get away!" he said, giving chase.

"But I wonder why they just needed Cyndaquil, anyway," May asked as she and the rest of the Pokémon began following them after the balloon. "Normally, they try for everything they can, right?"

"First things first," Ash said as the couple turned the corner. "We've gotta save Cyndaquil! It's in lotsa pain, I just know it!"

* * *

"I can't believe that we're actually getting away this time!" Jessie smiled at the trapped Cyndaquil, as sparks from Pikachu's Thunder still wrapped around its body.

"Normally we get greedy an' mess it up, but not dis time!" Meowth agreed as the balloon began glowing blue. "We might actually get a promotion for dis!" he swelled with pride. "I can imagine what da Boss is gonna say!"

"Before you go into a fantasy," Jessie blinked, "I think we're falling."

"Fallin'?" Meowth blinked. He looked over the side and saw the ground coming closer. "What's goin' on?"

On the ground, focusing with his greatest might, was Anabel's Alakazam, pulling the balloon closer to earth.

"Brock! Guys!" Ash shouted, as he saw the group in the middle of the town.

"Thought you could ditch us, eh, Ash?" Brock asked, smiling.

"Not at all," he nodded. "Team Rocket's got Cyndaquil!"

Anabel smiled. "Well, now we've got Team Rocket, isn't that right, Alakazam?"

"Kazam…" the yellow Pokémon nodded as he clinched his silver spoons tightly.

"Now, Medicham," Greta tossed her Pokéball, "deflate that ugly balloon with Hi Jump Kick!"

Greta's Fighting Pokémon appeared, and launched herself into the air at high speed. "Hey, waddya mean 'ugly'? Meowth asked before Jessie pulled him down for his safety. Medicham plunged through the balloon, and it came hurtling to the ground even faster than it had been.

"Skarmory," Cyndi tossed her mother's Pokéball with her free hand, "get up there and snatch Cyndaquil!" she called out. The Steel-Type Pokémon zoomed over Team Rocket's falling basket, and deftly grasped the orb that contained Cyndaquil in her talons.

"Woah," May blinked, "that was incredible!"

"It's only natural," Cyndi smiled. "Skarmory are known for their sharp eyes, and after working as a nurse's aid for so long, Skarmory's really quick at grabbing things."

Team Rocket's basket fell right before Ash's group. A tired Jessie, Meowth, and Wobbuffet climbed out. "Great," Jessie sighed. "What else can go wrong today?"

"This can!" Brock shouted. "Steelix, let Team Rocket see your Iron Tail as a going away present. Going _far away_!" The Breeder released his Pokémon, and the shocked crowd that was gathering was awed at the presence of the powerful Pokémon. Steelix smiled with his large jaw as he wound up his tail. As he began smashing it forward, it began glowing. The tail snapped at Team Rocket's Basket, launching the duo plus Wobbuffet into the air.

"This isn't fair!" Jessie yelled. "Even when we get it right, we get it wrong!"

"Maybe if James was here to help, we'd have gotten away with it," Meowth fumed.

"Are you saying we pin all the blame on him?" Jessie asked.

"Wobbuffet!" the Psychic Pokémon snapped.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they shouted as they disappeared from view.

Skarmory dropped the orb into Ash's hands. He quickly popped it open, and a panting Cyndaquil fell out.

Brock rushed over and put two fingers on Cyndaquil's neck. "This is bad," he said in a low tone. "Not only did Cyndaquil's small body take the entirety of that electric attack, but there wasn't much air inside that orb. Cyndaquil's been suffocating in there." He looked up at Ash. "Let's get him to the Pokémon Center, quick."

* * *

"So how did you all find us?" May asked, she and Ash having changed back into their regular clothes as the trainer paced around the waiting room.

"Pikachu's Thunder Attack, especially on a clear day like this one is hard to miss," Brock said.

"We're sorry we left you guys behind," Ash said. "I just wanted to take May with me alone so we could do something, just the two of us, to make up for the stuff we've had to do since we got here." He sighed as he sat next to May. "If we had never left, this wouldn't have happened to Cyndaquil."

"Don't blame yourself, Ash," May placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's my fault, too. "If I hadn't been greedy for your attention, then we wouldn't have left in the first place."

"But I wanted to make it up to you," he said. "And because I didn't think, one of my friends is in a lot of pain."

May wrapped her arms around the boy. "It's okay, Ash. Cyndaquil's gonna be all right."

"And I have the medical license to say that," Nurse Joy said, stepping in with Cyndi following in behind her.

Ash immediately brightened up. "Really? He's gonna be alright?"

Joy nodded. "He'll be fine if he rests here for about a day."

Ash darkened again. "A day?" he asked.

"He might be able to get out sooner, but I'd rather not risk his health," Joy said.

"I understand," Ash looked down. "But I had entered Cyndaquil into the Pokémon Contest tomorrow. If I don't have a Pokémon, we'll have to forfeit."

The door to the waiting room opened up, and the grey headed man from the Contest Hall stepped in. "Hello, kids," he said. "I heard about your run in with that nasty Team Rocket."

"Hello, sir," Ash said, looking down.

"I also heard that your Cyndaquil is in bad shape," he placed his hand on Ash's shoulder.

"Yes, sir," Ash confirmed. "He won't be able to battle tomorrow in the contest."

The man smiled, ruffling his moustache. "Well, if you can find a replacement Fire-Type Pokémon, then I'll make the change to the registration sheet for you."

"You will?" Ash brightened.

The kind man nodded. "Of course, since according to the news that Network Machine on One Island is broken, we have no way to get you a Fire Pokémon if we have to transport it. Do you have another way we could bring one here?"

Ash snapped his fingers. "I've got it!" he said. The trainer ran passed the man into the Pokémon Center.

"Thank you so much for pulling some strings Mister…" Joy began complimenting him, but didn't quite know his name.

"Jameston," he said. "I'm Mister Jameston of the Four Island Pokémon Contest Committee."

"Well, thank you very much Mister Jameston," Joy smiled and bowed.

"This isn't very good at all," Anabel sighed. "I wanted to go home tonight, so we could get out of here before something else bad happens."

"A-annie!" Greta tugged on her arm. "Don't be so hasty!"

"She's right," Brock said. "Besides, we have to wait for Cyndaquil to recover. And Ash and May can't just leave when they've registered for this contest."

"How would you folks like to register, too," Jameston asked, turning to them.

"That sounds cool!" Cyndi jumped, clutching her Happiny.

"Do you have any copies of the registration forms?" Brock asked.

Jameston produced some from his brown suit coat. "As Commissoner of the Contest Committee, I can't be found without these."

May stood up and began walking towards the door. "You all go ahead and sign up," she said. "I'm gonna go see what Ash is up to." Giggling, May hopped out the door and into the lobby of the Pokémon Center, looking for her boyfriend.

* * *

**With Cyndaquil out of commission, what Pokémon will Ash call upon to enter the Contest with? And will it be enough to battle win against his friends, who are also entering? Come back next week to see! Please leave a review! And if you're reading this on or around April 6, 2007, wish me a Happy Birthday!**


	20. In the Cliff Face of Adversity!

**I'm sorry for the apparently "late" update. FFnet was being wierd and wouldn't let me update my chapter on the regular time. This chapter has been done since last thursday, and I'll update again this Thursday, as per the regular schedule.**

* * *

Ash had already hung up the phone when May came into the lobby. "Hey, May," he smiled. "Why don't we go for a walk?"

May raised her eyebrow. "What about getting that Pokémon you need?" she asked.

"It's been taken care of, that's why we need to go walk, so we can get him," Ash explained.

May shrugged. "Okay, it sounds nice."

Ash sat Pikachu down. "Okay, Pikachu. You stay here with Brock and everyone else so they don't think we've ran off again."

"Pika!" Ash's partner saluted.

"Okay, then," he said. "Let's go."

The couple quietly left the Pokémon Center through the front doors and began walking up the road. Pikachu watched them leave, and then ran back to the waiting room were Brock and the others were.

The Electric Pokémon found himself on the outside of the closed door. Twitching his ears, he leapt up and grabbed the doorknob. Hanging from the knob, he began to plan how he would open the door. He began wagging his tail from side to side, building up momentum. As his tail wagged further, he began swinging his lower body as well. Pikachu's swinging speed slowly increased; he felt the knob twisting in his grip. Unfortunately, it was twisting because Brock was opening it. The door opened, knocking Pikachu against the wall. The startled Pokémon let out a cry as he hit the wall.

The Pokémon Breeder looked around the door and saw the injured Pokémon. "Sorry there, Pikachu," he said, picking the Pokémon up. "I didn't see you."

Pikachu sighed; at least the door was open, now.

* * *

"We're gonna have to do some late-night training," Ash said as he and May walked along the coast.

"I know," May said, clasping his hand. "I wish Team Rocket didn't ruin our training. Then we could just spend a romantic night on the island together.

Ash grinned back. "I'd like that, too, but if we're gonna do well tomorrow, then we've got to make sure we're ready."

"So, Ash, you haven't told me, yet," May swung their clasped hands. "Which Pokémon are you gonna get?"

"I think you'll recognize this one," he laughed.

The couple came to a rock face that towered over the island. "We have to get up there," Ash said.

May looked around. "I don't see an elevator, or a lift or anything," she said, knowing what was coming next.

Ash nodded. "We have to climb it."

"Climb it with what?" she asked.

"We'll use our Pokémon to help," Ash said. "Beautifly can use String Shot and act as a safety line for us. Sceptile can use Frenzy Plant to help us climb it, too."

May looked up the cliff. "Are you sure we can do this? It looks really high up."

"I'm positive," he smiled. "Are you ready?"

May nodded and pulled out her Pokéball.

The trainers tossed the balls into the air, and the large green Sceptile and the small, colorful Beautifly appeared. Ash and May explained the plan to their Pokémon. Beautifly shot String Shot around Ash and May, binding them together. Sceptile channeled his newest skill, and spouted vines from the cliff.

Ash nodded at May, and then began leading her up the side of the cliff. With Sceptile's help, the first few feet were an easy matter. Ash looked down and saw that his Pokémon was tiring, though, so after a while, he recalled Sceptile, and he and May began climbing on their own.

Finding places to grip and places to put their feet was the easiest part of the climb. Pulling themselves up the side of the cliff in the dark was harder. The Moon was on the other side of the cliff, so it was very dark as Ash and May struggled up the side of the plateau.

May placed her foot on a rock, and the rock crumbled beneath her. As she slipped, she threw her hand up, calling Ash's name. His quick hand nimbly grabbed hers, and he held her up. They looked deeply into each other's eyes, May finding her foothold again. They reluctantly let go, and Ash continued pulling them up the mountain.

Beautifly watched her trainer as she held onto the lifeline. The Butterfly Pokémon flew up along side the cliff, following them, helping them hold on. She saw a small ledge that Ash and May could rest at, and lead them over and up to it.

The tired couple sat on the ledge, gasping for air. Once she had caught her breath, May looked out from over the cliff down at the town they had been in earlier in the day. Street lamps and other lights allowed the town to glow, but it wasn't a bright glow. The lights from the town twinkled, and almost reflected the clear night sky above. They still couldn't see the moon, but what they did see was breathtaking.

"Oh, Ash," May wrapped her arm around his. "It's beautiful up here…"

Ash nodded. "It is, but this is nothing to what I have planned."

May looked over. "What do you have planned?"

The trainer smiled. "I think you'll understand when we see my Pokémon."

May was getting excited and filled with new energy. "Well, then c'mon!" she shouted. "Let's get going! I wanna see what you're talking about!"

Ash grinned. "Alright, lets get going."

Before they began climbing again, Ash and May took a moment to look down. They had climbed quite far in what felt like a short time. However, since neither of them had any way to tell time, they couldn't tell how long they'd been climbing.

Ash began leading the charge up the cliff again, though, with May close behind him. The climbing was becoming more difficult, with holds becoming fewer. The trainer stretched up to grab a rock jutting out of the side. He gave a tug on it to make sure it was stable. As he pulled on it, it gave and slipped out of the cliff face. Ash lost his balance and began falling, only to have May's quick hands catch his arm and Beautifly's thread to catch his torso. Laughing out of embarrassment, the trainer scrambled up the side of the cliff to regain his position. He used the hole he made as a hold and was able to climb up further. May smiled at him, admiring his determination.

After climbing for what felt like many more hours, Ash and May finally reached the top. The crescent moon shone brightly over their heads, illuminating the grassy top of the flat-topped mountain. Ash and May collapsed onto the ground as soon as they crawled away from the cliff.

"I… could… really… use… a… nice… soft… bed…" May panted, breathing deeply between each word.

"I… could… use… a meal…" Ash panted in response.

Just then, both of their stomachs growled.

"Why did you have to remind me that I was hungry, Ash?" May complained as she rolled onto her side.

"I wasn't," he groaned, rolling no his side to face May. "I was reminding myself.

May weakly lifted her Pokéball and recalled Beautifly, then let her arm fall limp again.

"Maybe there's a tree with some fruit up here," Ash said, sitting up. "I mean, there's gotta be a reason that Pokémon come up here, right?"

May looked over at him. "How are you sure that Pokémon come up here?"

Ash blinked. "I'm not."

May sighed. "Great, there's probably not anything up here, and to eat, we'll have to climb down."

Ash stood up. "Well, we might as well look," he said.

Ash stepped over to May and helped her to her feet. "Alright," May sighed. "But I hope we can find something to eat up here."

Ash and May had only just begun to comb the mountain top when Ash practically ran into a tree. Looking up into the branches, the couple saw many round, blue fruits growing off the tree.

"Hey, are those?" Ash blinked.

"Oran Berries!" May squealed. "We're saved!"

Just as Ash began reaching for one of the berries, a rushing wind blew threw, knocking several of the berries on the ground. As May scrambled to pick up the falling berries, Ash turned to see the source of the wind landing near the tree.

The large Pokémon huffed, a small plume of smoke leaving his nostrils. His piercing blue eyes cut through the darkness at Ash, the edges of his mouth turned up in a grin. The Pokémon extended his large wings, allowing the Pallet Trainer to admire his impressive wingspan. His yellow underbelly was easily seen in the dark, as was his bright orange skin. A flame at the tip of his long, powerful tail helped illuminate the dark scene.

The Pokémon smiled and coughed out a fiery greeting for his trainer, only just missing May.

"Ash," May's eyes widened, "is that…?"

"Charizard!" Ash smiled. "I knew you'd get here!"

Ash's Charizard let out a loud, intimidating roar that caused several Hoothoot and Noctowl in nearby trees to scatter off.

May had already pealed an Oran Berry and began eating it. Ash laughed and picked up one of the ones Charizard knocked down and tossed it to his Pokémon.

* * *

"So you asked Liza to send Charizard here?" May asked, finishing off an Oran Berry.

Ash swallowed his last bite as well. "Yeah," he said. "It's the only Pokémon I could have gotten, since the Transfer system isn't working on the Sevii Islands."

"Well, we better get ready for more competition," May said. "Brock, Cyndi, Anabel, and Greta are all gonna enter the contest now. The guy we got our entry forms from was giving them out when I left the room."

"No need to worry," Ash brimmed with confidence. "With the right teamwork, Charizard and Blaziken'll be able to beat anyone."

"But, Ash, I do have to ask," May began.

"Hmm?" the trainer looked over.

"Was it really necessary to climb the cliff to get up here?" she asked.

"Well, it's going to be for what I want to do next," he responded, "but I guess we didn't have to come up here."

"Oh?" May blinked. "And what's that?"

Ash stood up and looked over at the relaxing Charizard, who had already eaten his fill of berries. "Are you ready to fly, Charizard?" he asked.

Charizard stood up and flipped out his wings. He smiled and nodded to his trainer.

"How about we take a flight, May?" Ash offered her his hand.

Images of a long-forgotten dream flashed through her head. Her face heating up, May took Ash's hand as the trainer led her over to the kneeling Flame Pokémon.

"Do you still remember that dream we had?" May giggled as she threw her leg over Charizard's shoulder.

Ash sat in front of her upon his powerful Pokémon. "Yeah, that's why I wanted to come up here," he said. "There wasn't a big staircase like you told me about, but there was a flat top, and it's a great night to go on a flight with Charizard.

Ash's Fire-and-Flying type let out a roar as he stood up. With a quick jump, Charizard flapped his powerful wings, and took off over the island. May looked around Ash's head to the wide ocean, and saw the bright moon reflecting on the waves. The sky was clear and inky black, other than the bright sparkling stars. The town on the island seemed to glow warmly. Looking back up, May let the wind blow through her hair. She watched as the wind blew Ash's already unruly hair around. Ash looked back at her and gave her a smile, causing the girl to blush.

Somehow, it seemed at times that she had forgotten why she and Ash got together in the first place. They had just gotten complacent with their relationship, and as they traveled with their friends, their relationship became normal, not special. May laid her head on Ash's back and closed her eyes, letting all the memories come back to her. Ash's sweet qualities. How he tried to impress her and worried when he had messed up. She felt the soft sweatshirt that Ash wore, remembering their first kiss as the material had pressed against her body.

She slowly wrapped her arms around Ash, causing him to look back at her. "May," he asked, "what's up?"

May giggled. "I am," she said. "I feel like I'm on top of the world right now."

Ash smiled and ran a hand through her hair. "May, I-"

"No, I should say something now, Ash," she said. "I think I forgot what we're supposed to be about. It's not about Anabel, or running away from everything. It's about doing everything that we do together. About us loving and trusting each other. I wasn't trusting you when I thought that Anabel would sway you, and I'm sorry for that."

Ash looked into her sapphire eyes. "May, I'll always be here for you, no matter what," he whispered, his breath tickling May's lips as he drew closer.

"Ash," May whispered back, "kiss me like you did our first time."

Ash closed his eyes as May did the same and press her lips against his. There was no tongue movement, only a shared breathing that tasted of Oran Berries. Ash turned around as much as he could without falling off, May pulling him as close to herself as she could. Their hearts began pulsing faster, and in May's mind, she was in the wedding dress she dreamed of. It was their day. Ash, lips still tightly pressed to May's, opened his eyes and saw the beautiful girl kissing him back. Acting as quickly as he could, he pivoted around, catching the surpised May in his arms. Charizard compensated for the turning, and was able to keep Ash from falling off his back. May wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled herself up closer, pressing her chest against his. Ash felt as though he was falling backwards, so Charizard began climbing skyward, keeping the trainer up by allowing him to lean on his neck.

When May finally broke the kiss, she didn't notice that Charizard had climbed far into the sky, the crescent moon sitting close by. She didn't notice that the ground couldn't be seen from their altitude, nor did she worry that Charizard had lost his way and couldn't return to Four Island. All she saw was his auburn eyes, staring gently back at her. She nuzzled his chest with her head, resting peacefully in his arms.

"I love you," was all she said.

* * *

Charizard landed outside the Pokémon Center later that night. Cyndi immediately threw herself at Ash's Pokémon. May giggled, but only held Ash's hand as he walked past the questioning Anabel, who was wondering where they had gone.

The rest of the night seemed like a blur to May. She heard Ash say that Charizard would need to rest before the contest, having flown all the way from Johto, but no one else's words penetrated. She smiled at Ash over their much more substantial Pokémon Center dinner and tickled Pikachu under the Pokémon's chin. When it came time for bed, May convinced Ash to let her sleep in the same bed that he was. She cuddled against him, resting her head on his chest, thinking only about this feeling of love that had swallowed her whole

* * *

"_May!" Ash shouted in a panic. "Go get Pikachu!"_

_May was confused. "What's going on, Ash?"_

"_They got Pikachu!" he shouted. "I've gotta go this way. Something attacked Charizard!" And with that, turned around and ran into the darkness._

_May nodded and ran the opposite direction. There were no walls, or people, or anything. Only darkness surrounding her on all sides. "Pikachu!" May shouted. "Where are you?"_

"_Pika-chuu!" A thunderbolt ahead of her located the Pokémon. Appearing around Pikachu where three flames. One burning red, another blue, and one yellow._

"_Pikachu!" May shouted. She hesitated at the fires._

"_Pikaka!" he shouted back, glad to see her._

_May, swallowing her fear, leapt through the flames surrounding Pikachu, snatching the Pokémon up in her arms. With Pikachu in her arms, the flames vanished._

"_We have to get back to Ash," May said. She stood up and began running in the direction she thought she had come in._

_She ran as hard and fast as she could. "Ash!" she called out. "I've got Pikachu! Where are you? Ash!"_

"_Pikapi!" the Pokémon called out as well._

_May's foot hit something, and she tripped, she looked back at her leg, and the injury from One Island had reappeared. The object she tripped over was Ash's backpack._

_May's breath got caught in her throat. "A-Ash?" she swallowed the saliva in her mouth. "Are you there?"_

_There was no answer._

"_Ash? Please, come out, this isn't funny anymore."_

_Nothing._

"…_Ash?" May began feeling tears roll down her cheeks._

"_Pika…" Pikachu lowered his ears._

_A loud screech filled May's ears, and the darkness was wiped away. A large glowing object hovered in the sky._

_May looked up at the object. It was a Pokémon, with someone riding on its back._

_The Pokémon had a silver beak, and wings that looked like a sunset. A majestic silver comb on its head sat above its piercing orange eyes. It's tail feathers plumed behind it in a silver circle._

_Standing on the Pokémon's neck as it hovered in the air was a familiar young man. His clothes were torn, as if he had been lost at sea. His black hair was still tossed about, but the greatest difference was in his eyes._

_His auburn eyes were cold, like small pebbles. Looking into them filled May with a fear. His gaze was fixed on the Pokémon in her arms._

_Slowly, he lifted up a Pokéball from his hands. He pointed it to her._

"_Return."_

May snapped awake, her heart beating a mile a minute. She tried to go over just what she had dreamed about in her mind as quickly as possible.

"May?" Ash rubbed his eyes as the rising sun entered the room. "What's up?"

May looked back into his half-closed eyes. The warmth was there. She threw herself onto his chest, and began sobbing fitfully.

Ash, surprised, sat up. He took May into his arms and held her there. "What's wrong, May?" he asked quietly as Cyndi rubbed her eyes from the commotion.

"I-" May tried to get it out between sobs. "I-I just had a terrible nightmare…"

"Shh…" Ash whispered. "It's gone now. It was just a bad dream."

"You…" she said. "Something happened to you.. you left."

"I'm not going anywhere, May," he whispered, trying to calm her down, gently running his hand up and down her back.

"Promise?" She sniffed, looking up.

"I promise, May," he hugged her. "No, we gotta get something to eat," he said, pushing her off. "We have a busy day today with the contest."

May looked around in panic for a moment. "Where's Pikachu?" she asked.

"May, calm down," Ash smiled. "Pikachu's been with us the entire night."

The Electric Pokémon had sprawled out from his normal sleeping position. May reached over and picked up Pikachu, clutching him tightly. "Do you mind if I hold onto him for a while?" she asked.

Ash shrugged. "Sure, but we better get going." He said. "C'mon, go take a shower and get dressed. You'll feel better."

May nodded and put Pikachu down to get into her clothes. Pikachu turned over and return to his slumber.

After May stepped into the restroom, Brock poked his head over the side of the top bunk he slept in. "What was that about?" he asked.

"May had a nightmare," Ash shrugged. "Must've been a really bad one."

"Well, I better get ready, too, if I'm gonna beat you in the contest," Brock chuckled.

"Oh yeah?" Ash chuckled. "Let's see how well you do against me an' May at the contest."

The boys began getting ready for the coming day. Cyndi remained quieted and rubbed her eyes. Happiny was still asleep next to her. She reached into the Pokémon's pouch and took out a small, green book. She began reading it, in preparation for the coming day and Pokémon Contest.

* * *

**Okay, now that that's done, I can finally relax. Next chapter will be on time, and on Sunday, I should be able to pick up my copy of Diamond!**


	21. A Brainy Contest!

**Here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.**

* * *

May sat poking her eggs and bacon with a fork, her other hand propping her head up. She looked up at the rest of the people sitting at the table.

Ash was already declaring victory over Brock, Cyndi, Anabel, and Greta. "C'mon you guys," he laughed. "You know you all don't stand a chance against Blaziken and Charizard."

"We'll see about that," Greta slurped up her cereal in a rather obnoxious way.

"C'mon, guys," Brock said. "Save it for the Contest battle."

"Right," Greta grinned. "I'll be happy to smear the floor with that stupid face of yours, Ash."

"Oh yeah?" Ash challenged back. "Well, your air looks like it was made for mopping!"

Ash and Greta continued growling at each other across the table. May let out a small sigh and looked between the combatants to Anabel, who looked at May with a strange amount of interest.

Brock managed to calm Ash and Greta down, and then the breeder left the table to go check on the Pokémon and Cyndi.

"May, are you alright?" Ash asked, looking over to her. "You've barely eaten, and you haven't said anything since you woke up."

May sighed. "I dunno, I guess I don't feel really hungry."

"Well, ya gotta eat so that you can keep your strength up for the contest," Ash said. "C'mon, eat up."

May looked into his worried, hopeful eyes. She smiled. "Okay," she said. May began eating the food on her plate slowly, which caused the boy to smile in approval.

* * *

May was the last to finish her breakfast that morning. After she finished, she and Ash left (after everyone else already had) to go to the contest hall. The Contest would start in only an hour, but May and Ash had some time to work on their appeal.

"Aipom, use Swift!" Ash ordered. The purple monkey Pokémon hopped into the air and swished her tail through the air, launching stars out of the hand on the end of her tail.

"Skitty," May started. "Use Doubleslap! I mean, Assist! No, Blizzard!"

Skitty turned around in confusion at May, ignoring the speedy stars that were flying at her. "Ah! Skitty, watch out!" May called out. The stars slammed Skitty in the back, knocking her over. Although both Ash and May were concerned about Skitty, Aipom only laughed at the Kitten Pokémon. Skitty turn around and growled at Aipom, and then opened her mouth, launching a Blizzard at Ash and his Pokémon.

As per May's request, Pikachu was on her shoulder, so he simply sighed at what was going on.

"May, are you alright?" Ash asked, placing the chilled Aipom on his shoulder. "You haven't been this worried about a contest in who knows how long…"

"It's not the contest," May looked down. "It's that nightmare I had last night."

"Well, tell me about it," Ash sat down in the still-dew covered grass.

"It's kinda weird," May sat down next to him, rubbing Pikachu on the chin.

"You can tell me, May," he smiled. "What's up?"

"Well, in the nightmare I had last night…" May started. "It was strange. First, you told me to go after Pikachu, alright? And then you ran off. So I went to go find Pikachu, and I did, but he was surrounded by this weird colored fire. After I rescued him and came back, you were gone. Then, a huge Pokémon appeared in the sky, and you were riding on it. It looked like Ho-oh."

"Ho-oh?" Ash jumped. "You had a dream about Ho-oh?"

May flipped open her yellow Pokédex, and pressed a few buttons. "Here's the entry I was looking at this morning while you were taking a shower," she said.

A picture of a huge bird Pokémon appeared on the screen. It's wings were colored orange at the tops, but became green at the tips of the feathers. Its tail feathers were in a golden plume, and a golden comb sat on its head just above its red eyes. "Ho-oh," the Pokédex began its prerecorded message. "The Rainbow Pokémon. Its feathers, which glow in seven colors depending on the angle at which they are struck by light, are thought to bring joy. It is said to live at the foot of a rainbow."

"Yeah, so?" Ash blinked. "I've looked at that entry in my own Pokédex a lot.

"The thing is, though, the Ho-oh in my dream was different colors," May said. "Its wings looked like a setting sun, and it had a silver tail instead of gold."

Ash shrugged. "Well, I've had dreams about Pokémon and they haven't been accurate to life."

"That part made me think, but it wasn't the part that scared me," May said. "I said you were on Ho-oh, remember? Well, you looked like you had been torn up in a huge storm, or lost in the forest for a long time. But the biggest change was in your eyes." May began shaking. "Your eyes, they were… so cold, and unfeeling."

Ash tried his best to make his eyes look as warm as possible. "But that's not how things are," he said. "Look, my eyes are really warm." Ash then came to a realization. "That's why you asked me to promise to never leave you, isn't it?"

May nodded. "That's right."

"Well, I've already said that I'm not going anywhere," Ash smiled. "So there's nothing to worry about. It was just a bad dream, anyway."

May smiled. "You're right, Ash. Thank you." Her wide smile turned into a narrow grin. "How about we get back to practicing?"

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Mr. Jameston announced into a microphone while facing a television camera. "Thank you for tuning into the Four Island Pokémon Contest. I am your host, MC, and one of the judges, Mr. Jameston." He then turned to a booth behind him. "Also judging with me is a good friend of mine. She owns a restaurant in town. It is my honor to welcome my co-host and fellow judge, Miss Jessintine along with her pet Meowth."

Ash, May, Brock, Cyndi, Anabel, and Greta watched the introductions from the coordinator's lounge in the back. "That's the woman who fed us yesterday," May blinked at the monitor.

"I didn't know she was a contest judge," Ash also blinked.

Anabel sighed. "I missed out on part of the adventure because these two wanted to run off."

"Oh, don't worry, Annie," Greta giggled. "The best part is coming up soon."

"What?" Anabel raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

Greta swallowed quickly and put a friendly smile on her face. "Oh, nothing."

"As per Four Island Rules," Jameston continued on the screen. "there is no crowd, and opposing coordinators are not allowed to witness their opponents appeal. Which means these performances are only for you viewers at home."

"That's a strange rule," Brock furrowed his eyebrows. "How am I supposed to impress any girls if there's no crowd."

"Did you miss the 'viewers at home' part?" Cyndi sighed while gently rocking Happiny.

"But how will I find these girls if I don't know where their home is?" Brock began to cry. Cyndi sighed and hoped he'd be ready for their appeal round.

"Well, we're up first," Ash said to May as Jameston finished his announements. "Are you ready?"

May smiled and nodded. "As I'll ever be."

"Pika!" Pikachu added from May's shoulder.

The couple walked around the building quickly entering the small stadium. As per Jameston's warning, there were no cheering crowds or watching rivals. The only other beings in the room where the two judges and that old woman's pet Pokémon.

"Lets see your appeal," Jameston spoke into the microphone.

"Alright," Ash smiled. "Go, Aipom!" He tossed the Pokéball containing his Pokémon into the air.

"Skitty, take the stage!" May threw her ball in.

The two Pokéballs opened, and both of the Pokémon stood at opposite ends of the battlefield.

"Alright, Aipom, start off with Swift!" Ash called out.

Spining in place, Aipom sent out the quick yellow stars out towards Skitty.

"Skitty, blow 'em back with Blizzard!" May ordered.

As the stars drew closer, Skitty began taking in a deep breath. With her lungs full of air, Skitty began breathing it out as a cold, icy wave of wind and snow. The stars that flew towards the kitten Pokémon were now being sent back to Aipom, this time tinted light blue and covered in a thin layer of ice.

"Aipom, pulverize that Swift with your Focus Punch!" Ash shouted. Aipom winded the fist on her tail back, and then slammed it through each star as they approached her. The stars exploded into a fluffy pile of snow that began accumulating before Aipom. "Now, throw snowballs to Skitty!" Aipom made a round snowball with her tail and chucked it at the pink Normal-Type.

"Skitty, juggle the snowballs with Doubleslap!" May shouted.

Skitty caught the snowballs as they came to her, and began juggling them in the air. Aipom eventually sent five snowballs to the Kitten Pokémon. "Now Skitty, send 'em high!" May shouted.

Skitty nodded and slapped the snowballs high into the air.

"Now remember Aipom," Ash whispered, "what happens next depends on what Skitty's Assist move uses."

"Aipa" she nodded.

"Now Skitty, hit those snowballs with Assist!" May gave the command. At that moment, Pikachu shuddered. As Skitty brought her hand down, a huge arc of lightning shot from Skitty's hand and destroyed the snowballs instantly.

"What move was that?" Ash blinked. "Was that Pikachu's Thunder?"

May stepped back closer to Ash. "I don't know what happened," she said. "Maybe because Pikachu was on my shoulder, Skitty was able to use Pikachu's attack?"

"I don't know, but we'll ask Brock later," Ash whispered back. Aipom blinked in confusion, not sure what to do since the snowballs had been vaporized.

"Bravo, young contestants," Jameston stood and applauded. "I'm sure you'll make it to the next round.

"I agree," the woman, named Jessintine stood with her Meowth in her hands. "I also hope to see your Pokémon in the battle round."

"Myah," the Meowth yawned lazily before going back to sleep.

Ash and May thanked the judges and then left the arena. As they walked down the hall, Anabel and Greta walked towards them.

"So, how'd it go?" Anabel asked, a grin on her face.

"It went really well," Ash grinned back.

"Except for a confusing part at the end," May tapped her chin.

"Why? What happened?" Anabel asked, curious as to what went on.

May wagged her finger at Anabel. "You know that according to the rules here, I'm not allowed to discuss what happened." Anabel huffed shortly while May giggled. "C'mon, Ash, we don't want to make these two late."

May pulled Ash by the hand down the hall away from the two girls. Anabel and Greta huffed at May's apparent rudeness, but went ahead to the arena to appeal.

"May, there's no rule from talkin' about what happened," Ash narrowed his gaze as he spoke.

"I know," May snickered mischievously. "But I really didn't want to talk to them about it before we talked to Brock."

Ash rolled his eyes as May pulled him into the Coordinator's Lounge. Brock and Cyndi immediately stopped talking and looked up. "How'd it go?" Brock asked, hoping for good news.

"Well, the appeal went as we planned it," Ash said, sitting down with May taking a seat next to him on the bench, "up until May's Skitty used its Assist."

"What happened?" Brock sat up and leaned against the lockers behind him.

"Somehow, Skitty used Pikachu's Thunder attack," May said, pointing to the Electric Pokémon on her shoulder.

"Are you sure it wasn't Munchlax's Metronome and it just made Thunder?" Brock asked.

Ash shook his head. "No, I'd know Pikachu's Thunder anywhere, and that was definitely Pikachu's."

Cyndi rocked a sleeping Happiny gently. "But Pikachu isn't May's Pokémon," she said. "How did Skitty use its move?"

Brock rubbed his chin. "Well, there is one way. Has May been handling Pikachu or his Pokéball a lot recently?"

Ash and May remembered what happened at the Hot Springs a few days ago on One Island.

_Ash pulled out six Pokéballs and tossed them into the air. Five opened, setting Sceptile, Totodile, Muk, Cyndaquil and Aipom free. The sixth, however, fell to the ground, bouncing slightly._

_May picked it up. "What's wrong with this Pokéball, Ash?" she raised her eyebrow._

_Ash snatched it out of her hand. "Oh, that's-uh, Pikachu's Pokéball," he told her. "I musta grabbed it by accident."_

"May's been holdin' on to Pikachu a lot today since she had that nightmare, and she did hold his Pokéball for a second back then," Ash thought.

Brock tapped his chin. "Well, then probably Skitty's Assist treated Pikachu like it was May's Pokémon, so it was able to use one of his moves."

May shrugged. "That's not bad, is it Ash?"

Ash closed his eyes and put himself deep in thought. "Well, I guess not," he said finally. He then looked over to Pikachu. "But you're still my Pokémon, right buddy?" he asked him.

"Pikachu!" he nodded. He jumped around May's head and began nuzzling Ash's cheek from May's shoulder.

"That's all I need, then," Ash chuckled, playing with his friend.

"Are you sure?" came a rather cool voice from the doorway. Ash, May, Cyndi, and Brock all looked over at the woman it came from.

The woman stood about at Brock's height, her sharp purple eyes shooting into Ash. Her long black hair went down below her waist, and was high-lighted in read around her face. She wore a purple top that covered her chest and went to her neck, and long, purple gloves covered her arms from about a little short of her elbow to the ends of her fingers. A flashy, golden belt hung on her waist below her midriff, holding up long, straight black pants. Her purple heels were visible under the cuffs of her pant legs.

"Oh yeah?" Cyndi jumped up and glared at the woman as the rest of her friends sat stunned and silent. "Who asked you?"

Brock stood up and pushed Cyndi behind him. "That's Pike Queen Lucy!"

Lucy blushed and immediately looked to the breeder. "B-Brock?" she stammered.

Brock slid up to Lucy and took her by the hand. "Oh, Queen Lucy, I knew that you would come to find me one day, and that day is today!" he swooned.

Lucy's face only flushed deeper as she stared, entranced by Brock's eyes.

"What do you think about leaving these kids here to participate in this contest while you and I go to a nice restaurant in town to catch up between friends?" Brock asked, flashing his teeth in a charming way.

"We're kids?" Cyndi shouted, annoyed with the breeder.

"Catch up?" May gawked. "You only met her for one day!"

Ash and Pikachu only laughed quietly at the situation.

"Lucy," a booming voice resounded through the room, "we aren't here to pick up dates or play with children."

Ash took this time to stand up. "No way," he gasped.

Smirking, Tucker stepped into the room. "Surprised to see me, boy?" he asked.

"I thought you were in jail!" Cyndi shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the costumed man.

"Well, when you have friends in places like I do," he smirked, "you don't stay in places like that for long."

"Brock," Lucy whispered, smiling, "why don't you and I team up in the contest, and let Tucker and your little friend here go together instead?"

"Y-Y-You mean, 'you and me?" Brock practically exploded with joy right there.

"No way!" Cyndi protested. "There's no way I'm getting stuck with Butterfly-Man over here!"

"I'd rather forfeit than participate with such a brat," Tucker fired back at the young girl.

Anabel peaked in behind the Frontier Brains who were at the door. "What's all the commotion?"

Greta recognized Tucker's hairstyle from behind. "Tucker!" She nearly squealed. "How did you get out so soon?"

Tucker turned to Greta as she and Anabel entered the room. "Now now, my blonde friend, a truly great tactician never reveals his strategy until the operation is over."

"Is that why you told us that you had a friend bale you out?" Cyndi sneered, holding her Happiny close.

"You be quiet, you brat!" Tucker glared back at her, with Cyndi glaring back just as harshly.

"Anyway," Anabel stepped away from that confrontation, "Brock, aren't you and Cyndi next to appeal?"

Brock broke his gaze away from Lucy for a moment. "That is true," he said. "Now, wait for me, your highness," he bowed to Lucy, "as soon as I return, we can discuss dinner plans."

"Oh brother," Cyndi rolled her eyes. "Let's go and get this over with," she grabbed him by the ear and pulled him away from Lucy and down the hall to the arena.

Anabel's disposition changed from carefree to cautious. "What're you two doing here, Lucy?" she asked in a business tone.

"Scott's benefactor still has business in the Sevii Islands," Lucy explained. "We're still here on his business."

"Lucy, is Team Rocket this benefactor you've been talking about?" Ash asked, glaring at the Pike Queen.

"I'm not a liberty to say, since I don't know myself," she shrugged.

"Lucy, you're not supposed to talk about our mission here or the benefactor!" Tucker chastised her.

Lucy glared at him, her eyes cold. "You have your code of conduct, I have mine. And I'd appricate it if you didn't try to enforce your rules on me, got that?"

"How-how dare you speak to me like that?!" Tucker was outraged, stomping his feet and glaring back at his fellow Brain.

"You may have missed this since you got sent to prison," Lucy's acid-laced words came pouring from her mouth, "but you screwed up that last mission big time. I don't know what possessed you to take an two islands hostage, but usually a 'locate and recover' mission has a great deal more stealth to it."

"I was only trying to make it a grand scheme," Tucker gulped.

Lucy picked him up by his spandex suit. "I don't care what you were making it, the benefactor was really upset that you screw up the mission. I had to promise that you wouldn't do anything so stupid again, and I only did so because you're my friend." With a look of disgust on her face, she dropped the quivering Dome Ace to the ground. Tucker scrambled to his feet and stood back, catching his breath.

"Are you still looking for that?" Anabel asked.

"Well, there was a change of plans," Lucy explained as soon as Brock left her field of vision. "We're not looking for the Sapphire anymore," she said. "We're here for something else."

"Something else?" May blinked.

"I can't say," Lucy shrugged. She smiled, saying, "As Butterfly-man here noted, I'm not supposed to divulge information about the mission to people who aren't involved." She looked over the room at the children. "Be careful, all of you," she said, looking at Ash in particular. With that, she left the room, dragging Tucker along with her.

"Ash," May stood up and grabbed his hand, "I'm worried about what's going on. This is getting really strange."

Ash looked at the empty door way. "All we can do is take Lucy's advice. 'Be careful."

* * *

**I hope you liked this chapter! Make sure to come back next week for the next entry! Also, I hope my fellow Americans enjoy Diamond and Pearl this Sunday. I'm certainly picking up my copy!**


	22. Crooked Contest

**I hope those of you who have it are enjoying Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. I know I am. This chapter's a bit on the short side, but its not because I've been distracted! It's because I wanted the pacing to work like this.**

* * *

Ash, May, and Anabel sat in silence for a moment. Greta had left the room shortly after the other Brains left. "I'm gonna go warm up my Battle Round Pokémon," she said when asked about her departure. 

"But the Battle Round isn't until after all the appeals," Anabel contested. "And even then, they have to tally the scores and choose who goes on."

"Oish!" Greta snapped around. "It pays to be prepared," she said. The Arena Tycoon then turned around and left the three of them in the room by themselves.

May sat next to Ash on the bench near the lockers in the room, nervously playing with Pikachu's ears, much to the Electric-Type's annoyance.

Brock peered around the doorway into the room. "Hey, guys?" the breeder blinked. "Why is everyone so quiet?"

Brock stepped in, followed by Cyndi, who called her Happiny out of her Pokéball. The breeder sat down next to Ash on the opposite side from May, and the smaller girl sat on the other side of the coordinator.

Ash sighed loudly. "Tucker and Lucy left after you all went to your appeal," Ash said. "They're here looking for something on the island."

"They are?" Brock asked. "What is it this time?"

"They wouldn't say," May placed her in Pikachu's fur. "All Lucy would tell us is to 'be careful."

"You think she was warning us?" Ash asked the breeder.

Brock scratched his chin. "I wouldn't doubt it," he said. "Lucy doesn't seem like a bad person."

"But why would she warn you two?" Cyndi asked, rocking her giggling Happiny. "Unless we're in danger, they're be no reason to…" Cyndi immediately caught what was going on.

"We're in danger here?" May asked no one in particular.

"That might not be the only explanation," Brock said, "but with all of the Frontier Brains that are around, something bad could very well happen." He then looked up across the room and smiled. "Present company excluded, of course."

Anabel grinned. "Of course," she replied.

The television started flickering on, and the man known as Jameston was smiling into the camera. "Thank you, one and all for waiting," he said. "It was a long appeals round, and it was lots of hard work trying to find out which coordinators should move on, but I think we've chosen the best of the best." The screen changed to show a blank Contest Score board. "Let me announce our finalists," Jameston announced. "First we have…"

All eyes looked to the screen. The intensity was building, the tension was rising.

"Brock and Cyndi!"

The faces of the Breeder and the girl appeared on the screen. Brock and the Cerulean native let out a sigh of relief. May looked at the screen, still confident that she and Ash made the Battle Round. _We have to! There's no way that our appeal couldn't have made it!_

"Next is Anabel and Greta!"

The Salon Maiden let out a sigh of relief that she had passed. "I felt like our appeal was pretty bad," she sighed. "It was like our Pokémon weren't in sync at all. It's a miracle that we made it passed."

"Third is Ash and May Ketchum!"

Ash and May's jubilations that they made it were cut when everyone else shot glances of surprise and shock at them.

"May _Ketchum_?" Cyndi raised an eyebrow. "You all didn't…"

"Of course we're not married yet!" May turned red and stood up. "We're too young for that!"

"That's right!" Ash stood while speaking. "And besides, I haven't eaten any wedding cake!"

"Pikachu!" he laughed, tossing his head to the side.

"They must have just misread the name," Anabel sighed. "Next time, Ash, don't give us all a heart attack and write the names down right."

"I'm the one who marked it down," May said, stepping between Ash and Anabel. "Don't blame him for my mistake."

"May…" Ash whispered.

"I-it must have been a slip of the mind or something," she laughed. "I know that I'm not married to Ash."

"Well, then don't make that mistake again," Anabel huffed.

"Finally, our last competitors are," Jameston began, returning all attention to the television screen, "Lucy and Tucker!"

Everyone's mouths just dropped open at that announcement. "Lucy and Tucker?!"

"They're in the contest, too?" Anabel glared at the screen.

"I thought they were looking for something," Cyndi narrowed her eyebrows. "Why are they entering this contest?"

"I don't want to have to fight Lucy!" Brock cried. "How would a battle between us affect our affections for one another?"

"We better be careful, just like Lucy said, Ash," May ignored Brock's hysterics.

"Right," he said. "This contest is getting weirder by the minute. We've gotta stay on guard."

"Pika," the Pokémon nodded.

"Now, we'll randomize the teams for the Battle Round," Jameston continued. All of the pictures began jumping around the screen, rearranging themselves in no particular order. Suddenly the pictures stopped, and a tournament bracket was drawn up between them.

"We have Brock and Cyndi versus Lucy and Tucker for our first battle!" Jameston declared. "And that leaves Anabel and Greta against Ash and May in the second."

"No!" Brock wailed melodramatically, clutching his heart. "How can they force me to fight the one I love?!" The breeder slumped over and fell back onto the bench, sprawling all along it.

Ash shot a grin to Anabel. "Well, it looks like we're up against each other in the first round," he said.

"I hope you all are ready," Anabel smiled back. "I'm not gonna hold back, and neither is Greta."

"Wait," Greta stepped in, rubbing the inside of her ear with a white towel that was draped across her shoulders. "What's going on?"

"You and Greta are fighting May an' me in the first round," Ash said.

"Ash," May tugged on his hand. "I think we need to go warm up. _Outside._"

"Oh," Ash snickered. "Right." He began heading out the room with May close behind him. "Alright guys, see you later!" And with that, the trainer and coordinator ran towards the lobby of the building and out the door.

"Greta, I need to go warm up my Pokémon," Anabel said. "Were did you go train?"

"I'll show you," she said, taking Anabel by the hand and leading her to the door.

"But wait!" Brock whined. "When do I get a chance to warm up?"

Cyndi yanked on his ear as the girls left the room hand in hand. "You'll get your chance to warm up in a 'trial-by-fire'," she said. "We're first. We go battle now."

Brock could only scream as he was drug down the hall by a girl not even half his size

* * *

"Charizard, I choose you!" Ash tossed the Pokéball out. In a flash, his loyal Fire Pokémon appeared. 

"Blaziken, let's go!" May tossed hers up as well. May's starter materialized before the couple.

"We need to get in a few training rounds before the match," Ash told the Pokémon. "We just need to do a little warm up."

Charizard roared and Blaziken flexed. The Pokémon glanced to each other, sharing a grin.

"Let's try some moves on those trees over there," Ash pointed in the distance. May and the Pokémon all nodded, and they began heading out for some last minute training

* * *

"Now, this will be a Double Contest Battle," Jameston announced. "Each side will use only two Pokémon, and they must share a type, as per the rules. The match will end when both of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle, or when one side runs out of points." 

"Go, Skarmory!" Cyndi tossed her Pokéball. Her mother's Pokémon served her well in the Appeal's round. Now she just had to win the Battle round.

"Swampert, let us do battle," Tucker's booming voice filled the small arena. Tucker's loyal Water-and-Ground Type appeared and roared at Skarmory, but the Steel-and-Flying Pokémon didn't move an inch.

"Milotic, let's go," the Pike Queen tossed in her Pokéball.

The Pokémon's ball snapped open, and a lovely vision appeared before the cameras and competitors in the arena. A long, serpentine Pokémon rolled her neck, making herself ready for battle appeared. Her body was long and cream colored, with ravishing red eyes and long eyebrows. At the end of her long body was a blue scaly tail, adorned with large patches of red scales. Her tail was like a beautiful fan, which she waved to her face.

"It figures," Brock muttered loudly. "The most beautiful competitor uses the most beautiful Pokémon."

Lucy heard this, and started blushing bright red. Tucker looked over to his team mate. "This isn't a time for fun," he said. "We're here for a reason. We've got to do our mission!"

"R-right," Lucy swallowed, trying her hardest to keep her eyes away from Brock's handsome features or his powerful Steelix that reminded her of him.

Cyndi sighed. "This battle is just getting weirder and weirder," she sighed, "and we haven't even started yet!"

"Let the Battle begin!" Jameston shouted from his judges booth.

"I'll start off!" Tucker grinned. "Swampert, shoot down that Skarmory with Mud Shot!"

"Skarmory, fly up and out of the way!" Cyndi commanded.

As Steelix and Milotic had a stare-off, Skarmory took flight, narrowly dodging the mud.

"Skarmory, trap Swampert and Milotic with Spikes!" the young girl continued. The armor bird Pokémon flung her wings apart, scattering metal spikes towards the opposing Water-Types.

"Swampert, Protect!" Tucker smiled.

Tucker's Swampert placed all four limbs on the ground, and generated a green shield around himself and Milotic. The spikes shot down by Skarmory bounced off the shield into the center of the arena.

Cyndi glanced over at Brock, who was nervously chattering his knees. "What are you waiting for, Brock? An engraved invitation? Get in the battle!"

"B-but I-" Brock swallowed.

On the other side of the arena, Tucker was lashing out at Lucy. "Are you just going to sit there and be a target?" the Dome Ace derided her. "We'll lose the match!"

Lucy gritted her teeth. She shot her gaze to the roof at Skarmory. "Milotic, bring it down with Twister!" she commanded.

Milotic aimed her tail, and with a flicker of her fin, sent a huge gust of wind at Cyndi's airborne Pokémon.

"Steelix," Brock panicked, "block that with Dragonbreath!"

Steelix opened his mouth and let fly a white, steamy looking breath attack that nullified Milotic's Twister.

Lucy, surprised, looked over to Brock. "B-Brock? Why-"

"This is a battle, Lucy," Brock said through clenched teeth. "If I hold back on you because of what I feel in my heart, I won't be doing you justice. So I'm going all out, and you should, too."

Lucy could only blush and mutter "Brock…" back at him.

Cyndi looked to the score and her jaw dropped. Though these exchanges, she and Brock had lost half of their points already, while Tucker and Lucy had barely lost any. "Hey, something's up…" she growled. "Why do we have such few points, and they have so many?"

"Because you're not looking out for this!" Tucker exclaimed. "Swampert, use your Water Pulse!"

Tucker's Swampert summoned down a torrent of water onto the unsuspecting Steel-and-Flying type.

"Skarmory!" Cyndi cried out.

"Steelix, block that with Sandstorm!" Brock called out. His Steelix began rotating the links on his body, and sand began pouring out of him. The rotation caught the sand and shot it upwards, intercepting the Water Pulse.

"Thanks, Brock," Cyndi smiled. "Now to turn the tables on Tucker. Skarmory, use Air Cutter!"

Skarmory flapped her wings hard, generating a penetrating gust of wind that flew towards Swampert.

"Swampert, tear through that with Dynamic Punch," Tucker growled.

"Milotic, stop Steelix from interrupting with Iron Tail!" the Pike Queen ordered.

"Steelix, you use Iron Tail, too!" Brock finished.

Swampert leapt thought the air and launched his fist right through the gust that Skarmory had made. Meanwhile, the ends of both Steelix's and Milotic's glowing tails had made contact, and the Pokémon were struggling against each other.

"Your Steelix is powerful, Brock," Lucy complimented.

"So's your Milotic," Brock smiled back.

"But I have the upperhand here," Lucy said. "Milotic, hit Steelix right between the eyes with Hydro Pump."

As Milotic readied the most powerful Water attack, Brock made a split-second command. "Steelix, drop the Iron Tail and lay fall on your side!"

Steelix obeyed and fell on his side. The Hydro Pump shot from Milotic's mouth and only grazed the Steel-and-Ground Type's side.

Cyndi smiled at Tucker. "Thanks for the opening, Butterfly-Man!" she snickered.

"What? What are you talking about?" He raised his voice.

"Skarmory, use Air Slash!" Cyndi commanded.

"Air Slash? There's no move called-" Tucker was stopped in his tracks as Skarmory began furiously slashing her wings through the air as if they were razors. From each part of her wings came what appeared to be a glowing, faster moving Air Cutter. However, with the increased number and speed, the attack was sure to leave a greater mark.

Too close to Skarmory and too far off the ground to take evasive action, Swampert cringed as the slashing wind cut against his moist skin. The Mudfish Pokémon was sent hurdling towards the ground and impacted very sharply.

Steelix, meanwhile, having dodged the Hydro Pump, squirmed along side Milotic and bound the Pokémon in a Bind attack. "Make sure she can't move, Steelix," Brock shouted.

As Steelix groaned in approval, a loud buzzer sounded in the arena.

The competitors had looked to the screen and saw that Brock and Cyndi had run out of points.

"What?" Brock could barely believe what he was seeing. "How did that happen?"

"We were winning!" Cyndi shouted to the judges. "How could you penalize us for winning?"

Jameston tugged as his collar and cleared his throat. "You see, you weren't battling with enough finesse."

"And your Pokémon were clearly tiring out," Jessintine said.

"I had a move I was gonna use to restore my strength!" Cyndi contested. "You disqualified us too quickly!"

"The judges have spoken," Tucker grinned. "You're just being a whiney brat about it."

"What did you say?!" Cyndi glared at him, fire in here eyes. "If I didn't think my Mom would be mad, I'd-"

"Cyndi, as much as I agree with what you'd do, Tucker is right," Lucy said, eyes closed and arms folded. "The judges have made their decision. As corrupt as it may be."

The rest of the arena fell in silence. The Pokémon had all returned to their respective sides. Lucy recalled her Milotic and faced Brock. "Be careful, Brock. I don't want you to get hurt." With that, she turned and left the arena. Brock and Cyndi grudgingly recalled their Pokémon and left the arena, spirits dampened.

Tucker grinned after recalling his Swampert as her followed Lucy down the hallway. "If you had been more active in the battle," he mocked, "that wouldn't have happened."

Lucy picked up Tucker by the wings on his outfit and pinned him to the wall. "We were supposed to fight the other two," she snarled at him. "Why did we fight them?"

Tucker shrugged to the best of his ability. "A change of plans?"

"Who would change those plans? Scott? Another one of the Brains? Who?"

"Don't ask me," he said. "I was just as surprised as you were."

* * *

"I'd keep an eye on those judges," Brock's words echoed though Ash and May's memories as they stepped into the arena. 

"They're definitely up to no good," Cyndi's interjection also rang clear.

Ash and May looked across the arena to their opposition. "Hey, Ash," Anabel waved and smiled. "Let's have a good match, okay?"

Ash couldn't help smiling back. "Sure," he said. "And it'll be even better when May and I win."

"Don't get too over confident," Greta sneered. "I'm not holding back this time."

"Oh yeah?" May stepped up. "This time, we've got our strongest Pokémon. You'll lose to us, just like last time."

"You all talk a good game," Anabel smiled, "but lets see you put your money where your mouth is."

"Alright," Ash pulled out a Pokéball. "Charizard, I choose you!"

"Blaziken," May threw hers, "take the stage!"

"Go, my friend!" Anabel tossed her Pokéball into the mix.

"Oish!" Greta through hers in as well.

Several flashes and Pokéballs snaps later, Charizard and Blaziken faced off against Metagross and Medicham.

"Are both sides ready?" Jameston asked.

"You bet!" They all affirmed.

"Then let the match begin!"

* * *

**And next time, we have an importaint contest battle!**

**For those of you who keep wanting to battle me over D/P WiFi, check my Profile in the coming days for details about that.  
**


	23. The Battle within a Battle

**Here's the next chapter. Lots of stuff goes on. I hope I did it right. Anyway, here's Chapter 23. Read, and enjoy.**

** EDIT: I put the transition lines in. Sorry for the confusion. It should read easier, now.  
**

* * *

_We've already got the advantage,_ Ash thought to himself. _Since Metagross is a Steel-Type as well as a Psychic Type, Charizard and Blaziken both have an advantage over it. And since Medicham uses only punches and kicks, Charizard's ability to fly gives it another advantage._

Pikachu encouraged May from her shoulder, causing the girl to smile. May looked over to the judges. They seemed to be sweating intensely, waiting for the first move to be made. In particular, Jessintine's Meowth, who had been asleep the rest of the time, was now wide awake and watching her. _This is kinda weird,_ May thought, _but I've gotta focus on the battle._

"Medicham, get in there and bash that Charizard with Focus Punch!" Greta commanded.

"Charizard, take flight and use Flamethrower!" Ash countered.

"Metagross, shoot down Charizard with Hyper Beam," Anabel assisted.

"Blaziken, cover Charizard with Fire Spin!" May entered.

Before Medicham could get close enough to land her glowing Focus Punch, Ash's loyal Charizard flapped his wings and took to the sky. Metagross opened his mouth and aimed the glowing beam at Charizard as Blaziken took in a breath, readying her attack. Charizard poured flames out from his mouth onto Medicham, who jumped backwards as the flames chased her towards the wall. Metagross' Hyper Beam fired, and Blaziken's spinning flames shot out to counter. The flames and the beam struggled against each other for a moment, but then the beam shot through, heading straight for Charizard.

"Charizard, dodge it!" Ash cried. His Flame Pokémon flapped his wings and nimbly dodged the attack.

"Ash, I'm sorry," May gushed. "I thought we'd be able to counter that."

Ash gave a thumbs up, but kept focused on the battle. "It's fine, May. You still slowed it down so we could dodge it. Thanks."

_Metagross, give Blaziken a Meteor Mash as soon as you can move again._, Anabel fumed quietly. Her Pokémon acknowledged, but was unable to move.

"Medicham, knock that flying lizard down with High Jump Kick!" Greta continued her offensive.

"Charizard, knock it back with Steel Wing!" Ash offered for a counter.

"Blaziken," May pointed to the Steel-Type, "knock Metagross over with Blaze Kick!"

_You'll just have to take it. Stand strong,_ Anabel urged her Pokémon.

Blaziken quickly approached the immobile Iron Leg Pokémon and leapt into the air. She thrust her leg down towards its head, and her talon quickly burst into flame. The red hot kick knocked Metagross backwards towards Anabel, but the Pokémon straightened up and was able to continue.

Meanwhile, Charizard began a dive towards Greta's Medicham, his wings glowing. Medicham leapt into the air, her knee crashing into Charizard's wing. The mighty dragon cried out in pain and tumbled to the ground. Shaken, Charizard came to his feet and roared at Medicham.

"You idiot!" Greta taunted. "Your Steel Wing gave Charizard Steel-Type properties on its wings, and Steel-Types are hurt really easily by Fighting strikes."

Ash slapped his hand against his face. "Great, how could I forget that Fighting has an advantage over Steel? If Brock were here, he wouldn't have let me forget."

* * *

"That was still lame how we were disqualified," Cyndi continued as they entered the Pokémon Center. "The judges were obviously biased."

"I wonder where Lucy is…" Brock pondered out loud.

Cyndi yanked hard on his ear. "Are you even paying attention to me?"

The girl pulled Brock into the lobby, where there was a television hanging in the corner currently airing a movie. She sat him down in a chair on his own to let him nurse his injured ear.

"Aunt Joy," Cyndi asked at the front counter, where her relative sat clicking at her keyboard, "can I borrow the TV Remote?"

"Sure, sweetie," Joy said, never taking her eyes off the screen. She reached away from the screen onto the desk and felt around for a bit, and then handed the grey rectangle to the girl.

"Thank you, Aunt Joy," Cyndi smiled.

"You're welcome," She smiled to the screen. "Now run along. Aunt Joy's almost reached level 18, and then she can go buy some more spells."

Cyndi ignored her aunt and returned to the lobby. She sat down next to the breeder, who was saddened that Joy wasn't coming over to speak to them.

Cyndi began flipping through the channels, searching for the Contest. "Do ya remember what channel that the judge-guy said the Contest would be on?" she asked.

Brock shrugged. "I don't think he mentioned a particular channel," he said.

Cyndi kept flipping the channel, searching for the contest. "Cartoon Network, G4, MTV," she muttered, half paying attention, "I hope we don't miss Ash and May's win… Card Game Channel, ESPN, 2, 3, 4, College, 5…"

Brock quietly slid up from his chair and snuck off, away from the youth who kept flipping the channel.

He slid up to the counter to find Joy slamming her keyboard with open palms. "Darn it, I died again. I'll have to get all that experience again, now."

"Joy," Brock took her by the hand, "I died and went to heaven when I saw you, and I'd love to experience whatever comes our way with you at my side."

Joy raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I'm entranced by your beauty, my lady," he said. "May I have the pleasure of telling you about your beauty over dinner tonight?"

Joy blinked and frowned. "Uh… no thanks. We have a raid tonight, and my other character needs those epic robes."

Cyndi yanked down Brock's ear, pulling him away. "Aunt Joy, what channel do they show the contests on?"

"What do you mean?" Joy raised an eyebrow.

"The judge said that if you wanted to watch the contest, you'd have to watch it on TV, since an audience wasn't allowed."

"Well, that's strange," Joy said. "Normally, every Contest has an audience. And they're never aired on TV."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "The judge said that we'd be able to see it…"

"I'd go ask there, then," she shrugged. "We've never had a televised contest on Four Island."

Cyndi pulled down Brock's ear to her mouth. "Ash and May could be in trouble. Remember? Frontier Brains? With all of 'em there, and now we can't see what's going on, I bet it's a trap!"

Brock nodded, his ear still paining him. "We have to go help them."

* * *

"Ash, is Charizard alright?" May asked. "That High Jump Kick looked like it hurt."

"Charizard's fine, aren't ya pal?" Ash confidently asked his Fire-Type. Charizard roared.

"But we better use some of the combinations we worked on," May warned. "Our scores are nearly tied with theirs, so it should give us an edge."

Ash smiled. "Alright, lets go. Charizard, back into the air!"

Charizard took off into the air while Greta fumed. "Medicham, go!" She ordered.

Medicham ran towards the airborne Charizard. "Blaziken," May shouted, "get close to Medicham!"

Blaziken leapt over in Medicham's path and put up her hands. "You wanna fight, little girl?" Greta sneered. "We'll fight!"

_Metagross, now! Meteor Mash Blaziken!_ Greta ordered.

Ash waited for Metagross to start moving. "Charizard, lock Blaziken and Medicham off with Fire Spin!"

Charizard breathed a ring of fire, surrounding the two Fighting-type Pokémon. Metagross stopped just as the fire fell in front of it, stopping it from going any further.

"Let's fight one on one, Greta," May smiled. "Lets show some fighting Pokémon pride!"

"Alright, sounds like it'd be a good show," Greta smiled back.

"Fight!" They both called out at the same time. Blaziken tapped into her instincts and began swinging at Medicham. The Meditate Pokémon dodged one of her fists, but was caught by the other. She grabbed Blaziken's arm and attempted to throw the Pokémon towards the ground. Blaziken kicked with her newly freed leg as she was lifted off the ground, escaping Medicham's grip.

_Metagross, use Psychic to clear the flames and reach Blaziken. Medicham needs our help,_ Anabel ordered.

Ash saw that Blaziken was currently winning the fight. "Charizard, use Flamethower on Metagross!" he ordered.

_Metagross, catch the flames from above and send them back,_ Anabel nodded.

Metagross looked towards the fire coming from Charizard's mouth and caught them with its powerful mind. It held the flames in the air, molding them into a ball. It then lobbed the fiery orb back at Charizard, who broke off the attack and dodged. With the moment of freedom, Metagross used its Psychic to snuff the fire holding Medicham and Blaziken in their infernal cage match.

"Blaziken!" May called out. "Watch out for Metagross!" Blaziken was grappling with Medicham, and was gaining the edge by sinking her claws into the Psychic Pokémon's arms. As she turned her head, Metagross zoomed up form behind as fast as it could move. Taking its large, club like appendage, it mashed Blaziken on the side, freeing Medicham from the grapple and knocking the Blaze Pokémon on her side, stunned.

_Pin her! Now!_ Anabel shouted mentally.

The huge Steel-and-Psychic Pokémon put its appendage on Blaziken's chest. Blaziken's legs couldn't reach Metagross' underside and her arms couldn't budge the Pokémon.

"Blaziken, try to knock Metagross off with Sky Uppercut!" May shouted.

"Medicham, give Blaziken a Focus Punch!" Greta ordered her Pokémon. Focusing her strenght, Medicham delivered a harsh punch to Blaziken's face, causing the Pokémon to cry out in pain. "Keep pummeling it, Medicham!" Greta sneered. "Give that little upstart what she deserves."

May watched in horror as Blaziken, unable to move or fight back, was repeatedly punished by Medicham. Images of Blaziken's battles as Torchic and Combusken came flooding back to her as her Starter Pokémon lay helpless under her opponent.

"Charizard, dive down and do something!" Ash called out. His order was unnecessary, as Charizard was already in a dive towards Medicham.

"Medicham, look up!" Greta tried to get her Pokémon's attention. Medicham, however, was taking too much pleasure in humiliating May's Pokémon after her encounter with May's Beautifly days earlier. Charizard swooped down and snatched Medicham, holding the Pokémon upside down as he returned to the air.

"Charizard, use Seismic Toss!" Ash called out. His reptilian Pokémon began looping though the air, building speed for the final decent.

_Metagross, use Hyper Beam to shoot down Charizard before it can launch its toss!_ Anabel told her Pokémon.

Metagross remained where it stood, pinning Blaziken to the ground. May watched Metagross angle its body skyward, readying to fire upon Ash's Pokémon.

"Blaziken!" May shouted. "Use Blast Burn!"

"Blast Burn?!" Anabel and Greta gasped simultaneously.

Blaziken opened her beak and began building up an orb of intense flames. Metagross looked down with his eyes while he still angled upward. As the orb of flames grew larger and hotter, it began changing from red to orange with white flames mixed in.

Charizard had finished building speed and began diving towards the ground, ready to drop Medicham. Metagross, distracted by the building of May's attack, hesitated and didn't fire the Hyper Beam. Blaziken unleashed her attack, firing the explosion point-blank at Metagross. The massive Steel-type was launched from Blaziken, fire surrounding its body. The largest flame, however, stayed in the center of the arena, where Blaziken lay and the flames of the explosion lingered on her.

Charizard tossed Medicham into the ground and rushed to his partner's aid. Using his powerful wings, he blew the flames off Blaziken's body. The worn out Fire-and-Fighting type continued to lie there, breathing slowly, her feathers scortched.

May rushed out from the sideline to her Pokémon. Pikachu came off her shoulder and sat at Blaziken's side as May lifted her Pokémon's head and sat her up. "Blaziken, are you alright?" May asked. "We've never had a battle this hard before. Are you hurt?"

Smiling, Blaziken nodded, thankful that her trainer was concerned over her condition. Her gaze shifted over to where Metagross lie. Anabel had also rushed over to her Pokémon to check its injuries. Metagross raised its head and gave Blaziken a nod, silently thanking her for the intense battle.

Medicham struggled to her feet alone as Charizard landed in front of her, giving his wings a moment to rest.

Ash looked up at the scoreboard. The points were exactly where they were before Blaziken and Medicham fought. The timer had already ticked to zero, but the judges didn't seem to be paying attention.

"Alright," Ash stepped towards them. "what's goin' on here? Why haven't the scores changed?"

Just behind him, Charizard let out a shrill yell. Ash immediately turned around and saw an Ice Beam shooting from the entranceway behind them and at Charizard's back. Charizard flapped his wings and took to the sky again, looking back at his aggressor. Whatever had fired the beam remained out of sight to all but Charizard, who took off and began chasing whatever it was down the hall.

"Charizard, what's going on?" Ash shouted. "Get back here!"

May looked up at the Pokémon as he flew away. She felt shivers run down her spine.

Before she could react again, a metal claw came down and snatched Pikachu up from his spot next to Blaziken. May and Ash saw that the arm was held by Jessintine's Meowth, as he stood familiarly on his hind legs and concealed Pikachu into a glass orb.

"Oh, I should have known!" May cursed herself as she stood to face the familiar trio.

"Well, you didn't stop us, so prepare for trouble," Jessintine said as she stood up.

"You fell for the plan, so make it double," Jameston stood up, twirling his moustache.

"An evil as old as the galaxy!" the old woman posed on the judge's booth.

"Sent here to fulfill our destiny!" the man stood along side her.

"With Meowth, dere's tree!" the Scratchcat lorded his catch over them.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" the woman moved back to back with Jameston.

"To extend our reach to the stars above!" The man said as they both gripped a particular point on their outfits.

"Jessie!" the familiar Rocket tossed off her disguise, grey wig and all.

"James!" he said, discarding the grey wig and moustache, as well as his suit in favor of his Rocket Uniform.

"And Meowth are da names!" He leapt up onto Jessie and James' shoulders.

"Anywhere there's peace in the Universe…" the maroon haired Rocket winked as she raised her hand into the air.

"…Team Rocket…" James said as he did the same.

"…will be dere…" Meowth grinned while Pikachu sat helplessly in the glass orb.

"…to make everything worse!" Jessie and James pointed down to Ash and May.

"Team Rocket!" Ash and May shouted. "Give back Pikachu!"

A loud roar came from the hall that Charizard had flown down.

"Did you hear that?" Jessie taunted. "It sounds like your Charizard needs some help. You won't be able to chase Pikachu as long as your Charizard's in trouble.

"And wit dat, we make our escape!" Meowth said.

"I've nothing to add," James said. The Rocket Trio began running down opposite hallway that Charizard had fled down.

"May, we've gotta do something!" Ash said, rushing over to her.

"Yeah, but what?" She asked.

"You go get Pikachu," he said. "I'll go find Charizard."

As Ash darted off out of the arena after his Fire-type, May felt another shiver down her spine. She stood up and turned to the arena. "Alright, Anabel, Greta, you-" she blinked for a moment, realizing that she was alone. "Where did they go?"

Reluctantly, May recalled Blaziken and began chasing down Team Rocket.

* * *

Ash ran as fast as his legs could carry him down the halls. The air was very cold, and there seemed to be frost all down the hall. The frost was quickly vanishing, thanks in part to Charizard's flight down the hall. Ash turned one more corner and saw Charizard sliding across the ground and slamming against the wall. 

"Charizard!" Ash called to his Pokémon. He dove to his side to protect him.

"Nice to see you again, young man," a bold voice said from behind the trainer.

Ash turned around to see a familiar face, as well as a familiar Pokémon.

* * *

May hurried down the hall as fast as she could. She could hear Meowth's cackling echo back to her, so she knew that Team Rocket was still in the building. _Pikachu, I'm coming!_ May thought to herself. Her legs carried her to the entrance of the Contest Hall, where she found Team Rocket stopped, facing the door.

"Drop the Pikachu, and no one gets hurt," A familiar young girl's voice sounded around the room.

"Like we're listening to a twerp," Jessie pulled out her Pokéball.

"Skyaa!" the Armor Bird Pokémon flapped her wings, intimidating the Rockets.

"Team Rocket, I've had it up to here with you're antics!" the Pokémon Breeder stepped up. "Let Pikachu go!"

"Make us!" James dared him.

"Beautifly, String Shot!" May ordered, tossing her Pokéball.

Meowth turned one second too late, as May's Butterfly Pokémon had already wrapped her string around Pikachu's orb and snatched it out of the thieves' hands.

"No way!" Team Rocket shouted. "A Twerp pincer attack?!"

May flipped open Pikachu's container and let the Mouse Pokémon out. "Are you okay, Pikachu?" she asked.

Suddenly, a huge explosion shook the Contest Hall, knocking everyone off their feet.

"What was that?" James moaned as he came back to his feet.

"Ash!" May shouted.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu leapt from May's arms and dashed back in the direction his trainer was. May turned and followed the Electric-Type Pokémon.

"Hey, wait!" Team Rocket shouted after the girl.

"We're still here for Pikachu," Jessie growled bitterly.

"But you're leaving with nothing," a voice from the doorway came.

Stepping between Cyndi and a blushing Brock, Lucy stared down the now frightened Rockets. "You people disgust me," she said.

"We what?" Jessie stood up, angered.

"Let's not get into who disgusts who," James tried to restrain her.

"Seviper," Lucy lobbed her Pokéball, "send these three packing with Poison Tail."

Lucy's Pokéball opened, and a Seviper looking much like Jessie's came out. The blade at the end of her tail began to glow bright purple, and she began slashing it at the trio.

"Can't we ever not have to take an attack on the way out?" they whined.

Seviper's Poison Tail slashed into the Rockets, knocking them through the roof and into the air. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they shouted as they disappeared into the sky.

"Lucy…" Cyndi stood in awe.

Lucy didn't turn back, knowing her eyes would catch Brock. "Let's hurry and catch up to May," she said. Brock and Cyndi nodded, and they began down the hall after the Coordinator.

* * *

"Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted again. May and the Electric Pokémon had already passed through the arena again. She knew they were getting close to opposite side's entrance.

"Ash!" May called as she and Pikachu turned the corner into the room. May's eyes widened and voice grew weak. "A…Ash…?"

The room was reduced to rubble. Something had caused the roof to collapse in, revealing the clear late-afternoon sky. The glass doors were destroyed, and the walls around them were barely standing.

May quickly surveyed the surroundings for any sign of the Pallet trainer. Pikachu dashed over to the wall closest to the arena, which was still intact. "Chaa…" he cooed as May approached to find what he saw.

Five Pokéballs lay on the ground where Pikachu stood. May felt her eyes swell up with tears as she kneeled down next to them. Her hand shaking, she picked up one of the Pokéballs. It was still shrunken, so the Coordinator pressed the button, causing it to expand. She pressed it again, and it opened up in her grip.

Before her, a purple monkey Pokémon with a hand on the end of her tail appeared. She appeared disoriented, looking around quickly for her trainer.

May fell back, placed her face and her hands, and loudly wept.

* * *

**Come back next time for the next installment.**

**And anyone that wants to play Diamond or Pearl against me on Friday night (Eastern US Time, of couse), I'm actually going update my profile with info. Anyone else that wants to talk to the author (moi!) but doesn't have Diamond or Pearl is welcome to come and talk because they have nothing better to do is welcome to come, as well.**


	24. Aftermath and Before Dawn

**Finals slowed down my update. But that's okay, since I'm going home for the summer on Friday. What does that mean for you, the reader? Probably nothing.**

* * *

_What happened to him? Where is he? What's going on? My dream... why is this like my dream… Dream? No, nightmare. What happened? Why this nightmare? Where did he go? Where did you go? Ash…_

* * *

When Brock, Cyndi and Lucy arrived, they found May fallen to the ground, sniffling quietly. Pikachu shook her shoulder, trying to rouse her.

"Oh my…" Lucy put her hand over her mouth.

"May!" Brock bolted from the group. He kneeled down and lifted the girl's head up. "May, are you alright?"

Cyndi kept back around Lucy. She didn't know what to do in this situation. "Is… is she alright?" she asked tentatively.

The breeder checked her pulse at her neck, then her head for a fever. "She seems like she's alright. But she's still unconscious."

"Maybe she just fainted?" Lucy offered a suggestion, stepping closer.

"Pika!"

The small Pokémon drew their attention to the Pokéballs lying on the ground.

"Who just leaves a bunch of Pokéballs just lyin' around??" Cyndi blinked.

Brock investigated the Pokéballs. "These…" he gasped, "these are Ash's Pokéballs!"

"Seriously?" Cyndi snatched up a full sized ball. "Are you sure?"

"Open one up, so we can be sure," Brock said. "I hope they're not his…"

"Okay, Pokéball!" Cyndi said, tossing the red and white orb through the air.

The ball fell to the ground, but remained closed.

"Well, that didn't do anything…" Cyndi pouted. "There's no Pokémon inside.

Lucy picked up a blue one with a red pattern. She pressed the button on the ball to expand it. Pressing the button again opened the ball, and in a flash, a Totodile appeared. The Water-type Pokémon danced joyfully for a moment, but then stopped. He looked back at Lucy, and tilted his head, confused as to why this strange woman would have his Pokéball.

Brock picked up a Pokéball that was close to May while still holding the unconscious girl up. "This one seems empty, too," he said.

"Eipa!" The voice came from the rubble in the room. Aipom climbed down the debris. "Eipa, ei ei!" she pointed to the sky, her teeth in a frown and her eyes in a panic.

"Aipom?" Brock blinked. He pointed the ball he held at Aipom and shot a red beam at her. Aipom recoiled in panic as she was converted into energy and sealed back inside the Pokéball. "Well, at least we know who this one belongs to." Brock opened the Pokéball back up and released Aipom, who shook her fists angrily at the breeder. "Sorry, Aipom, I just had to check who's Pokéball this was," he explained. "Now what are you trying to tell us?"

Aipom looked around and ran over to an area where dust had settled. Using the hand on her tall, she drew a large triangle in the dust. She then pointed to the sky, across the horizon.

"What's this mean?" Lucy studied Aipom's primitive drawing.

"Okay," Cyndi raised an eyebrow. "I'm really confused now. Why are we taking directions from a Pokémon with a hand for a tail?"

Aipom became flustered and stomped her feet. "Ooh, hoo, ooh, hoo!"

Pikachu ran over from May's side to Aipom and her drawing. "Pika, pika pikachu? Pikapika Pikapi pika-chu pikachuu?"

"Eipa!" Aipom nodded. "Eipom, Eipom pom!" She pointed to the sky again.

"Do you know what's going on Pikachu?" Brock stepped over, carrying the unconscious May in his arms.

"Pika…" he tilted his head from side to side. "Pi-kak pika pikachu pikapika pikachu pika." He also pointed to the sky.

"It seems like Aipom saw something flying away…" Brock said.

"Could it have been the thing that caused this?" Lucy asked, indicating the destroyed room. "Something this big couldn't have been done on its own."

"We'll have to ask people around here if they saw anything at all," Brock said. I'll take May and Ash's Pokémon to the Pokémon Center so they can rest. Lucy, you and Cyndi start asking around to see if you can learn anything."

"Right," the Pike Queen nodded. "C'mon, shorty," she said, ruffling Cyndi's hair.

"Hey, who're you calling short?" the child chased after the Brain as they left down the hall towards the room that wasn't ruined.

"Ash…" Brock whispered. "I hope you're alright, pal."

* * *

"Ash…" May reached up. "Ash, where are you?" Her eyes clenched themselves shut to the bright light that hung overhead.

"Piika!" she heard. Something tried pushing her arm down.

Only opening her eyes a little, she saw a yellow Pokémon pushing with all his might to put her arm back down. "Pii…" he grunted.

"Pi…Pikachu?" she asked. May sat up and rubbed her eyes, still a bit confused as to what was going on.

"Pikaka…" Pikachu sighed.

May yawned and stretched her arms out. She sat up and started to look around the room she was in. With its white walls, white bed, and plain floor, May realized that she was in a Pokémon Center.

"Huh?" She blinked. "What happened? How did we get in the Pokémon Center?"

"Kakapi," Pikachu nodded. "Pika pikachu Pikapika chuupika."

May turned and slipped off of bed. Pikachu jumped to her shoulder, and she exited the room.

In the hallway, Brock, Lucy, and a sleeping Cyndi were all sitting, seemingly waiting for May to come out.

The Coordinator looked around at the grim looks on everyone's faces. "What's up?" She blinked. "Why's everyone so gloomy?"

"May, do you remember seeing anything that happened?" Brock asked, keeping his gaze on the floor.

"Happened?" May blinked, confused. "Happened to what? What's going on?"

"When you were running back to check on Ash," Brock said. "What did you see?"

May thought for a moment. "Well…" she struggled. "I remember the hallway, and then entering the room…" she frowned. "But it's all a blur. Why? What happened?"

Brock's face dimmed again as he slouched back over in his chair.

"And where's Ash, guys?" May blinked. "I thought he'd be watching over me in bed if I fainted…"

No one said anything. May swallowed, but her mouth was quickly becoming dry. "I-I asked you all about where Ash is," shakily trying to assert herself. "Where is he, guys?" she blurted out, beginning to panic.

"We don't know," Lucy said coolly. "We searched the entire island while asking everyone we could find. No one has seen him. He could be dead for all we know."

Lucy's words hit May like a ton of bricks. She felt her heart sink, and her eyes widen. "W-What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" May shouted. "People don't just vanish! People just don't… die…" May slowed down. Her eyes rolled back into her head and the girl began toppling forward. Brock quickly caught her, but Pikachu rolled off her shoulder.

"I guess she fainted again," Lucy sighed. "Hopefully she'll snap out of it this faster this time.

* * *

"He's gone, May," Brock said. "But we'll be able to find him."

May dried her tears on yet another tissue handed to her by Pikachu. "Why?" she sobbed. "Who took him?"

"We have an idea," Lucy said. "When we found you, Aipom had been released from her Pokéball, and she apparently saw a large triangle in the sky."

May sniffled and nodded.

"When we asked some townsfolk, they said they saw a huge pyramid fly though the air and land on the Contest Hall, which is what caused the roof to collapse."

"A-a huge pyramid?" May huffed. "Like the one-"

"Yes," Lucy interrupted. "The pyramid matched the description of Brandon's Battle Pyramid."

"Another Frontier Brain…" May sniffled and wheezed. She coughed again, prompting Pikachu to hand her another tissue.

"On top of that, Anabel, Greta and Tucker haven't been seen since you and Ash had a battle with the girls," Brock said. "It's likely their in on it, too."

May dropped her tissue. "You… you… mean… that Anabel…"

"May have been involved in Ash's abduction, yes," Lucy finished. "I've been trying to use my connections as a Frontier Brain to learn something, but I can't reach anyone except Noland and Spenser, who are still in Kanto and haven't heard anything about this."

"But what about Ash's Pokémon?" May asked. "Except for Pikachu and Aipom, that is."

"All present and accounted for," Brock said, "except for Charizard."

"Charizard's missing, too?" May sighed.

"We have his empty Pokéball," Brock said, "but other than that, he's missing, too. If I had to guess, he's with Ash, wherever he is."

"What about Ash's other Pokémon?" May asked.

"They're currently getting checked by Joy to see if any of them are harmed," Lucy said. "From what I've heard so far, they're all okay. Not even hurt."

"I see…" May sighed.

"How are you feeling, May?" Brock asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

May picked Pikachu up and held him close. "I… I dunno. I feel confused inside. During times like this…" Tears began silently flowing down her cheeks. "During times like this… I'd… I'd ask…" May struggled to keep her composure, but it wasn't working.

"Pika…" Pikachu patted her on her opposite shoulder.

May stopped fighting against them and let the tears come. "I'd ask Ash for help," she sobbed. "He'd always be there to give me confidence. To tell me that every thing's gonna be alright. And now I don't know where he is. He could be hurt, alone, or worse…"

May continued to sob fitfully, rubbing her tears onto Pikachu's warm yellow fir. The Mouse Pokémon also clinched his eyes, and shed a few tears of his own.

"May, you need to calm down," Lucy said, her eyes closed. "Crying about it won't help you find him. You need to find a way to find where Brandon could have gone, and if he really does have Ash."

"May, Ash wouldn't want you to cry right now," Brock whispered. "Ash would ask you to dry your tears, and get ready to help him on this adventure."

May's breathing was quick, but she fought back her tears, rubbing her last two away from her eyes. "But… But where can we find someone who would know where Brandon is?"

"Scott would know," Lucy said. "He is the owner of the Battle Frontier, after all."

"But where could we find Scott?" May asked, hugging Ash's partner close.

"Scott lives on Six Island," Lucy turned her head to her, staring with her sharp eyes at the Petalburg native. "He has a small house there that he vacations to whenever he's not following challengers around the Battle Frontier."

"Would he be there now?" May sat further up in her seat.

"All signs point to yes," Lucy nodded. "If we head to Six Island, we could press Scott for information."

May held her stomach as a small rumbling sounded from it. "Heh… I guess I'm kinda hungry," she laughed halfheartedly. "Can we go get some food, now?"

Brock smiled. "Sure, May. Let's head down to the Cafeteria."

May stood and let Pikachu squirm out of her arms and to her shoulder as the trio began walking down the hall. "Where's Cyndi?" May asked as they turned the corner.

"She fell asleep after all the running around today," Brock pointed to the room across from were May awoke. "After you fainted earlier, I went ahead and tucked her in, since she was asleep already."

May stopped in her tracks right at the Nurse's station. "Nurse Joy?" May asked, "Have you finished checking on Ash's Pokémon?"

"I have," the Pokémon Nurse smiled. "They all seem to be in tip-top condition. Well, other than Aipom, who seemed a bit emotionally stressed."

"And for good reason, too," May sighed. "May I have his Pokéballs?"

Joy saw the look on the girl's face and couldn't say no. "Here they are, May," she said, dropping the five Pokéballs into her hands. "Take good care of them."

May did a double take. "Why did I get five Pokéballs? Wasn't Charizard missing, too?"

"Did you already forget about Cyndaquil?" Brock asked. "Remember? He stayed here last night because of his injuries."

"Oh, yeah," May blushed with embarrassment. "I guess it just slipped my mind.

May slipped Ash's Pokéballs into her bag, glad to still have a part of the boy with her. She unconsciously moved her hand to her hair, running her fingers though her bangs. She touched the bandana. The one that Ash had got for her. _He's always been protecting me_, she thought. _Even when he's not here._

May snapped her head up. _Why am I thinking like this? He's not dead! He's out there, somewhere. Maybe they just didn't look hard enough…_ A crooked grin fell over her face. _I'll just go for a look myself when I can sneak out tonight. May's Detective Agency has a new case to solve!_

Brock led her into the Pokémon Center's Cafeteria, none the wiser.

* * *

May ate her fill, her vitality restored. Brock smiled, and noted that she seemed to be feeling better.

"I can't be depressed if I'm gonna find Ash, can I?" she smiled after swallowing a bite of food.

Brock smiled and agreed, not knowing what May would be up to.

Lying in bed while waiting for Brock to fall sleep, she contemplated that perhaps Ash and Charizard had chased after Brandon and his pyramid, and were fighting a daring battle for her sake. _But then why wouldn't he have come back for the Pokémon he dropped? He'd need them to battle, wouldn't he?_ She frowned. _Maybe he is in trouble, and is waiting for me to come save him?_ May felt like she was becoming agitated. _Then what am I doing here?_ she asked herself. _Ash needs my help._

But still, she waited. Without realizing it, she nodded off while she waited for the Breeder to finish with his shower.

"_May, are you alright?" Ash pulled her up by the hand._

"_I'm okay, Ash, but where are we?" she asked him. May took a look around, and found herself in a dense forest. Many pine trees lined the path that she had apparently fallen down on. The sky was clear, though, and a few Pokémon flew over head._

"_I dunno," he sighed dejectedly, "but I can't find Pikachu anywhere. Where could he be?"_

_May peered around Ash's head into the forest behind him. "Have you looked in there?" she asked him._

"_May, that's it!" Ash exclaimed. "Let's go look in the woods over there!"_

_May raised an eyebrow. "Are you feeling okay, Ash? That was kind of obvious for you to have to ask me."_

"_C'mon, we've gotta find Pikachu!" Ash said, turning his hat around._

"_Hey, wait!" May interrupted. "Didn't you give that hat to Max as a present?"_

May's memory destroyed her dream. At first she was glad that she awoke, but she was also melancholy, since she was reunited with Ash in that dream.

"But we were looking for something in the woods…" May whispered to herself. It was at that moment her eyes shot wide open. "Oh no!" she sat up in a harsh whisper. "I fell asleep!" Her eyes shot over to the rooms alarm clock that sat on the small table next to the bunk bed. The aged clock gave the time at 3:42 in the morning. May gave a sigh of relief, and then looked to the Pokémon she shared the bed with. Pikachu dozed peacefully next to where May's head had been laying on the pillow. She gently shook the Electric-Type, hoping to awaken him without causing too much noise.

"Chaa…" the Mouse Pokémon yawned, stretching his mouth wide open and exposing the fangs in the back of his mouth.

"Shh…" May whispered. "We're gonna go out and look for Ash, so be quiet and don't wake up Brock.

"Pika?" he asked quietly. "Pika, pikachu pika Pikapi pikachu."

"Well, I want to look for myself," she said. "Will you come with me?"

Pikachu shrugged. He wasn't going to get any more sleep tonight, anyway.

"Great! May's Detective Agency has a new case, and a new partner," the girl giggled to herself.

May took her pack and Pikachu quietly out into the hall. Walking quietly, trying not to disturb anyone else that may be using the Pokémon Center, she snuck down to the lobby and peered around the corner.

There was Nurse Joy, her eyes blood-shot, and focused on the computer monitor as she manipulated both the mouse and keyboard. "Take that, kobolds," she said to her self, with much joy.

May ignored the Nurse and slipped into the girl's restroom, leaving Pikachu outside to stand guard. She changed from her bed clothes into her regular attire and smiled at herself in the mirror. "We'll find him. I know we will!"

May quickly opened the door, almost hitting Pikachu with it in the process. "Oh, are you alright?" she asked as she placed the Pokémon on her shoulder.

"Pika…" he yawned, still not entirely sure what was going on.

"Right! Let's go look for Ash!" May shouted, dashing out of the Pokémon Center, brimming with energy.

* * *

May and Pikachu found the forest that hedged around town. May re-explained to Pikachu what was going on, and the two delved into the woods, calling for Ash while looking for any clues to his whereabouts.

May was quickly becoming frustrated with her search. "C'mon!" she shouted in anguish.

But still she searched. It was becoming more apparent that she wasn't going to find what she was looking for here. "It was in the dream and everything," the girl fumed quietly as the night dragged on.

Finally, after hours of searching, May and Pikachu resigned to their defeat. "I guess I should change the name to May's Defective Agency…" she slumped over in the dirt next to Pikachu.

"Pika…" he sighed.

"We're not getting anywhere, are we?" she asked Ash's Pokémon.

The Pokémon shook his head, confirming May's suspicions.

May looked up towards the sky. "And from the looks of things, the sun should be rising pretty soon. Let's go back to the Pokémon Center before Brock wakes up and finds us missing."

The duo left the forest, spirits hampered. May tried to remain jovial, putting her fingers in a square shape, and looking through them. "Though downtrodden, May's Detective Agency has not given up the Case of the Kidnapped Boyfriend. They still have a lead, with the corrupt owner of the now treacherous Battle Frontier-"

May found herself cut off. She and Pikachu had returned to the port where she and Ash came in only a day ago. May swallowed and approached the boat. It was still as empty as ever. And it would be a fair assumption that the boat still had as little fuel as ever. "Ash…" May sighed. "I'm worried, Pikachu. We don't know where he is, or even if he's still alive."

"Pikaka, pi pika Pikapi pikachu pikachu!" Pikachu pleaded. "Pika, pika pikachu pikapika pika!"

"I want to believe you Pikachu, but I need a sign," she sighed. "A sign that he's still okay."

From behind her, a bright, golden light began shining from above. May turned her head to the sky to see a huge Pokémon flying towards the southeast, passing right over head.

Its wings seemed to change colors as it flew overhead, quickly flickering between the seven colors of the rainbow. Although the Pokémon kept changing colors, May immediately recognized the color scheme that the Pokémon was known to possess. She flipped open her Pokédex very quickly to make sure.

A picture of that Pokémon appeared on the screen. "Ho-oh," the Pokédex said, "the Rainbow Pokémon."

May snapped the Pokédex shut then and there. "That's Ho-oh! The real Ho-oh!" She leapt in the boat and began paddling it out with her hands in the direction that the Flying Pokémon flew. "C'mon, Pikachu, help me paddle! We've gotta chase it! It might be trying to show us were Ash is!"

"Pika?" he looked a bit confused. "Pikachu…"

May reached in her pack and opened Ash's Lure Ball. Totodile sprang forth, landing in the water.

"C'mon! Go, Totodile!" May called out, tossing the loop of rope to him from the boat. "Chase Ho-oh!"

Totodile didn't give it a second thought. The Big Jaw Pokémon wrapped the loop around himself, and began plowing through the water at high speeds.

Ash's Pokémon made good headway, chasing the Legendary Pokémon across the ocean. But Ho-oh was flying faster than they were sailing to start with, and began to disappear over the horizon as the sun began to rise in front of their eyes. May held her hand up to guard her eyes against the sun's rays, and could only strain her vision as Ho-oh disappeared from her sight.

"Well, we may have lost our lead, but we haven't lost our vision," May shouted to the ocean, standing in the boat. "May's Detective Agency will follow Ho-oh's lead to whatever island that it was leading us to! Hang on, Ash! I'm coming!"

* * *

**And now its time for you to do whatever you do at this time. Tune in next week.**


	25. Ashes to Ashes Part 1

**I am fully aware that it is Saturday night in my time zone. In order not to dampen (?) the mood of the chapter, I'll leave my crappy explanation of what happened for later.**

* * *

_May… where are you? What's going on? Why did I see… What did I see… Pikachu… I hope you're okay… May…_

* * *

Ash's eyes were shut, but he awoke with a splitting headache. Without opening his eyes, he realized he was sitting up against a cold wall. Attempting to move his arms also proved useless: they were chained above him to the wall behind him. Shaking his head, he opened his eyes to survey his surroundings. 

A wall of illuminated display screens caused him to squint his eyes in pain. They all had a sky-blue glow, but nothing was being displayed on the screens. Three figures stood before him. The closest was easily identifiable as Greta, to his left. The one off to his right, standing about as far behind Greta as Greta was in front of Ash, was Anabel, her face looking away from the chained Trainer.

Behind both of the girls was a taller man. Burly, but not buff. His hair was about as long as Anabel's was. Garbed in long green pants and a matching button up jacket, he stood with his arms crossed. Ash couldn't see his eyes due to the room's lighting, but he could tell that his face was locked in a frown.

"Hey," Ash grunted, pulling at the chains, "what's going on? Why am I chained up."

"We've learned from reports that you have a tendency to escape when imprisoned," Greta said. "We need to keep you here until we arrive."

"Until what arrives?" Ash grunted pulling as far as his free legs would allow. "Where are you taking me?"

Greta brought her leg into Ash's side, knocking him back and causing him to gasp for air. "Quiet. You'll know when we get there."

As Ash gasped for more air, Anabel stepped over to him. At first, Ash grunted at her, and pulled away, but the Salon Maiden gently touched his the impact point of Greta's leg. "It's okay, Ash," she said. "She's just upset that you don't know any more than she does."

"Sh-shut up, Anabel!" Greta stomped her feet.

"Young man," the man in the back of the room again. "We meet again."

Ash struggled for a bit as he recalled the voice. "Brandon?" he sat himself up. "What's goin' on? Are you one of the bad Brains, too?"

"No!" He shouted, extending the length of time he held out the 'o', causing Anabel and Greta to cring.. "Don't lump me in the same category as them.

"Then what?" Ash shouted, angry at his predicament. "Why are you keeping me here?"

"Are you stupid, ya brat?" Greta spit in his face. "We said we're taking you somewhere." She punched Ash in his stomach. He let out a shout, and then fell back towards the wall he was bound to. He took many deep breaths, regaining the air that was knocked out of him.

"Greta, cut that out!" Anabel pulled her back by the arm. "You shouldn't hurt him, especially when he's defenseless."

"After what he did to me back there, ruining my reputation, he deserved it," Greta spat back. "And besides, who made you my boss?"

"I did," Brandon yelled. "After you completely ruined your last mission, I demoted you. Anabel now has rank over your actions, and you will be expected to listen to her commands."

"I-It was all Tucker's fault!" Greta exclaimed. "He's the one who made the entire plan stupid!"

"I've handled Tucker already," Brandon narrowed his gaze. "He's even lower than you are. Right now, Anabel is the second highest ranking Frontier Brain. I am the first."

"But she didn't even do anything!" Greta shouted again, adding an 'oish'. "She helped this twerp and his pals ruin Tucker's operation!"

"And in that, she was acting as I would have," Brandon huffed. "I would have torn down that entire plan myself if I had to. I'm glad I have reliable subordinates like Anabel so I don't have to do everything."

Greta growled at Brandon, then shot a sharp gaze at Anabel. She looked back at Ash, sneering. "We'll both get our chance to spend time alone with you, Ashy," she mocked. "I hope you're ready for our alone time." With that, she kicked his knee out from under him, causing him to plummet to the floor.

Anabel kneeled down to Ash's side and helped him back up. Ash's teeth were gritted as he looked up to Brandon. "I… I still don't understand. Why am I here?"

"The Benefactor, the one who funds the Battle Frontier has been watching all of your battles, young man," Brandon said. "He's very impressed and wants to meet you in person."

"But, why?" Ash still searched for answers.

Brandon looked to Anabel. "I will explain to him when you leave the room. I wish to have my alone time with him."

Anabel shot a worried glance at Ash. She sighed and stood up. "Yes, sir," she bowed to Brandon. Ash turned his head and watched her leave the room. The bright light from the hall shined into the dark room for only a moment before the door closed, cutting it off again.

"You're in a fine mess, young man," Brandon stepped closer to him before sitting down.

"I don't understand, Brandon," Ash sighed. "Why are you mixed up with Team Rocket and people trying to steal stuff? I thought you were better than that."

"We all have our reasons, young man," Brandon stated. "But I want to get you acquainted with your situation." He stood back up and approached the monitor. "Everything I tell you is truthful. It is beneath me to lie to you, young man. You may find the truth, however, very dissatisfying." He pressed a button next to the wall of monitors. They turned on, displaying a huge map of the Sevii Islands. A Black Triangle was slowly moving south over the seas, toward another island. "We're currently enroute to Five Island, where the Battle Fortress is."

"How did I get here?" Ash asked the Pyramid King.

"I incapacitated you non-violently with a sleeping gas," he said. "Simple work."

"Why did you do it, though, Brandon?" Ash asked. "I thought you'd be above that."

"Archeology doesn't pay the bills, young man," Brandon crossed his arms and looked Ash in the eye. "I'm doing it for the money, but only so I can continue to search the world for ruins. I'm very close… to making my own dream come true."

"Your own dream?" Ash blinked. "What's that?"

"None of your business," Brandon shut him down. "I need to explain another reality of the situation."

Ash gulped as Brandon away from the screen.

"I'm sure you're wondering where your Pokémon are," Brandon said. "I can tell you." He pressed a button on an unseen remote, and the screen changed from a map of the Sevii Islands to a live feed of a chamber elsewhere in the pyramid.

Thrashing wildly against his restraints was Ash's Fire-and-Flying Pokémon. His mouth was held shut by a metal hoop, and his arms, legs, wings and tail were similarly restrained. The Flame Pokémon struggled against the restraints with vigor as Ash watched.

"Charizard!" the Pallet Youth called out. He leapt forward, but his bound arms kept him to the wall. He struggled against the binds, grunting his Pokémon's name. Finally, he dropped back, and looked up to Brandon. "What are you doing? Let Charizard go!"

"Impossible," Brandon said. "If we let that Pokémon go, who knows what kind of damage it would cause. Rather, I want to keep it with you, since you will need a Pokémon when we arrive."

"But where's Pikachu? And May!? You better not have hurt them!" Ash's temper flourished.

"Relax," he said. "Your Pikachu and your friends are fine. The only ones taken were you and Charizard."

"You better not be hurting Charizard…" Ash grunted.

"Well, if you hadn't dropped its Pokéball, we would have simply locked him away in there. However, I didn't notice that you had dropped all of your Pokéballs when I picked you up," Brandon explained.

"So, I don't have any of my Pokémon?" Ash asked. "Only Charizard."

"That is correct," Brandon nodded. "Is there anything else you'd like to know for now? We should reach the island by tomorrow morning."

"Why me?" he asked. "Why am I important enough to kidnap, just so this Benefactor could meet me?"

"You are an exceptional Trainer, Ash," he said, turning away from him. "You are the first in a very long time to defeat the seven Frontier Brains. Although he'd have liked to meet your Pikachu as well, he will settle for you alone."

Ash tried to process the information, but it was just too much for him. "I'm so confused, Brandon," he said.

"Let it sink in," Brandon replied. "You'll understand eventually."

With that, Brandon left the room. The screens changed back to the pale blue color they had before Brandon changed them the first time. Ash leaned back against the wall, his arms still suspended. "Man, this is nuts," he said. "I hope Pikachu and May are alright."

The door to his room flew open. Greta's green eyes were glowing as she reentered the room. "Surprised to see me, Ashy?" She grinned like a Cheshire Cat.

Ash swallowed the saliva in his mouth. "Wh-whaddya want, Greta?" he gasped.

"Oh, are you afraid now, boy?" She stepped close to him. "You'd better be. You're in MY hands now. Oish!"

Ash pulled himself as flat against the wall as he could, but Greta only smiled at him as he was unable to get away. "You're mine, now, Ash." She thrust her arm out, catching his neck in her palm. With a sadistic look on her face, she began squeezing Ash's throat. The boy gagged and coughed. He began kicking at the Arena Captain with his free legs, but only managed to allow Greta to knock him to the ground.

"Now now, Ash," She smiled at him. "I'll let you go, under two conditions." With that, she released his throat and allowed him to breath.

"Wh… what conditions?" he gasped.

"First off, denounce May," she said. "Call her useless, horrible, a tramp, bimbo, whatever the worst thing you could call her is. Say that she's a worthless bitch, and I'll never hurt you again."

Ash recoiled at he words. "What did May do to you?" he gasped. "And what makes you think I'd say things like that about her?"

"She beat me!" Greta stomped. "I can understand you, since you beat me before. But that girl's only a Pokémon Coordinator. She takes them to beauty pageants, for God's sake! I do not loose to prissy girly girls like that."

"Well, then you don't know May," Ash shouted. "She's much more than just a Coordinator. She's also a much better person than you'll ever be! She doesn't turn on her friends, and she doesn't hurt anyone who's helpless!" Ash changed his frown to a smirk. "Besides, May's much prettier than you."

Greta brought her fist into Ash's mouth. The boy's face was knocked to the side, and he could taste blood mixed in with his saliva. He looked back up at Greta holding the hand she punched him with, her face showing signs of pain.

"What's wrong?" Ash spat the blood from his lip. "Does the truth hurt?"

Snarling, Greta stormed out of the room. "You'll get yours, brat!" she shouted as the door opened and shut behind her.

Ash ran his tongue along his teeth to make sure none were knocked loose. "Nope," he grinned to himself, "all still in place." He smacked his lips though, tasting his blood in his mouth.

The Trainer sat back against the wall, his arms still attached to the wall. His thoughts drifted to Pikachu and May. "I wonder what they're doin'," he spoke to himself. "I hope they're okay. They're probably really worried about me." He began looking around the small, dark room. "There's gotta be a way for me to get outta here…" He strained his eyes in the dark, but there was nothing close by he could use to aid in any escape attempts. He pulled on the chains that restrained his arms, and noted that they only go a short distance before running out of slack. A foot, maybe two, was all he had to work with. If he stood, he could reach his Pokéballs, assuming he had them. But as Brandon told him, he had none with him. He faintly remembered wearing his pack to the Contest Battle, but he couldn't feel it on his back, nor could he see it in the room.

Ash sighed to himself as the door opened again. "Hey, Ash," Anabel stepped in.

Ash away from her. "What do you want?" he huffed.

"I was ordered to take you from this interrogation room to your holding cell, where you'll be until we reach the island," Anabel explained.

"So you're just movin' the prisoner?" Ash interrupted, huffing.

"I actually wanted to talk to you, Ash," she said. "C'mon, let's talk as we walk." Anabel stepped over to the chains that held the boy. She took a key from her pants pocket and opened the locks. "And besides, Greta won't know where to find you when I move you."

Ash's arms fell down to his sides. Ash felt his wrists, which the bars had held tightly in place. "T-thanks, Anabel," he said.

"Don't thank me yet," she sighed. From her other pants pocket, she took out a pair of handcuffs.

"Oh, man," the boy sighed. "I just got out of something holdin' me."

"Well, this will only be until we get to the cell," she said. With that she slapped one of the cuffs around Ash's left wrist, and the other around her own right. She took Ash's hand and helped the boy to his feet. "This way," she said.

The two left the room and turned right. The halls were long, forward or back, but they stayed faithful to the pyramid shape they were in. Ash wasn't sure if they were above or below the main arena he had defeated Brandon in during his last Battle Frontier match.

They hadn't walked far when Anabel turned to another door and pressed the button, which opened it. She led him inside. It was a very small room. A bed hung from the wall, and it took up most of the space in the room.

"Kinda cramp," Ash sighed.

"I prefer to think its 'cozy'," Anabel giggled.

Ash collapsed on the bed, accidentally pulling Anabel to the floor next to him. "Whoops," he chuckled.

Anabel giggled as she took the key from her pocket and opened the cuffs. "You're a real handful, aren't you?" she joked.

"I guess," he let out a chuckle.

"You feeling any better?" She asked, standing up and slipping the handcuffs into her pocket.

"A bit," he said. "I guess I am hungry, though."

"You're always hungry," she nudged him on his side. Ash winced in pain.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Anabel jumped. "I didn't mean to touch where Greta kicked you."

"It's fine," Ash hid his pain behind a smile.

"No, it's not," she stood up. "Let me take a look at you. T-Take off your shirt so I can look at where she kicked you to see if you're bruising."

Ash blushed and swallowed. "N-no, I'm fine," he laughed uneasily. "No need to take off my shirt."

"Ash, how can I help you if you don't trust me?" Anabel asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"It's not that I don't trust you," Ash said. "But I don't think I should be doing that, especially when May would get really mad if I did."

"I promise I won't tell," she said. "And besides, it's not like I'm gonna ogle you or anything. I'm just checking for injuries."

Sighing, Ash pulled off his sweatshirt and dropped it on the end of the bed. He then pulled off his black shirt and tossed it on top of his sweatshirt.

He could feel Anabel's eyes raking across him, admiring his lithe body. He had to admit, it felt kind of nice having someone look over him. But he still felt uneasy, getting this vulnerable around a girl who wasn't May.

Anabel came closer to him and saw the red spot on his side where Anabel kicked him, as well as the spot on his stomach where she knocked the air out of him. She began looking at his neck, where Greta's handprint was easily visable, but her eyes were pulled to his shoulders. Two thin scars adorned each shoulder, and seemed to pull up to the top. There was only one scar in the back, but it was still mirrored across Ash's shoulders.

"Ash?" Anabel raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with your shoulders?"

"Oh…" Ash said. "Well… May and I got in trouble… we were falling, and I had Swellow catch us with his talons. Only, he gripped a bit too tight, and it hurt pretty bad. May bandaged me up, though, with her bandana. Which is why I got her a new one."

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" Anabel asked, feeling insulted that Ash hadn't told her.

Ash shrugged. "It really didn't seem like any of your business, since it was between May and I. It wasn't even really important, so that's why I left it out when I told you about what happened in Cerulean."

Anabel grunted, but returned to checking Ash's body. "Well, you seem to be alright. You shouldn't bruise." She stood up and dusted herself off. "Well, now you wanted something to eat, right?"

Ash nodded. "I wanted that before the little strip search."

Anabel blushed. "Well, I'll go fix you a sandwich. I'll be right back." With that, Anabel pivoted and left the small room.

Ash slipped his shirt back on, but left his sweatshirt off. He looked in the corner of the room, and saw his green pack looking back at him. He smiled at the familiar sight. He unzipped it and found his clothes still in the bag. He zipped that pocket back up and opened another, where he kept his personal things. He felt in and grasped each item. Misty's handkerchief, Brock's cutlery, Gary's halved Pokéball, May's halved ribbon and her torn, bandana, stained with his own blood. He pulled out the last two, and thought about May. When he had last saw her, she was in charge of Pikachu. "I hope she was able to save him," he whispered to himself. "I hope they're both okay." The halved medal on the ribbon flickered in the dim light he had in his confinement. He smiled, remembering her. The way she would talk when she was hungry. The way their stomachs would growl in perfect unison when they got hungry. He also remembered, guiltily, the way her bathing suit hung on her, and how it felt when she laid with him while they slept. He felt his heart beat harder, and his face burn. He let out a yawn. "I think I'll take a nap," Ash shrugged. "I'll eat later. I'm too tired now." He pulled his bag and sat it at the head of the bed and leaned his head on it. After a yawn, he was asleep.

Anabel popped her head in, checking on him, and found him dozing. She smiled at the trainer and sat down at his side, sitting the sandwich where his pack was earlier.

_I wonder if he's dreaming…_ she thought. She closed the door gently to not wake Ash up, then placed her hands on his head.

_Anabel opened her eyes and found herself in a field. Ash and May were sitting in the long grass, with Pikachu sitting upon his trainer's head._

"_I missed you, May," Ash said. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long."_

"_You're okay, silly," May laughed. "Why would I be angry with my boyfriend?"_

"_Pika!" the Pokémon also laughed._

"_I guess you're right. I'm worried over nothing," Ash laughed as well. "I'm glad you're both safe. I don't know what I'd do if either of you were hurt."_

"_As long as I'm alive, I'll be by your side, Ash," May fluttered her eyelashes at him. Ash began scratching his head, prompting May to ask him, "Are you okay, Ash?"_

_Ash shrugged. "I dunno. I guess my head feels a bit funny."_

_Pikachu helped his trainer scratch his head. Ash pulled the Pokémon off and dropped him in his lap. "I'm fine, Pikachu, but thanks."_

_As Ash scratched Pikachu behind the ears, May tugged on his sleeve. The boy turned his head to see May's blushing face. "Well, Ash, there's no one around… why don't you give me a kiss?"_

_Anabel felt her heart jump. "Sure," Ash said, smiling._

_Anabel quickly focused her mind. With a bit of work, she opened her eyes and was inside May. As Ash lowered her face towards hers, she closed her eyes and puckered her lips._

_She felt Ash's warm, soft lips on her own. She took in a deep gasp of air and pulled Ash closer. Ash, caught by surprise in his own dream, went along for the ride, kissing 'May' back with more fervor. Anabel opened her eyes and saw that she was waking Ash up, and that the dream field was deteriorating. Pikachu had even simply disappeared. She quickly stopped her mental probing and left the dream._

Embarrassed, Anabel quickly darted out of the room, and began sobbing. _Even in his dreams, I can only hope to be her,_ she thought, crying.

Ash awoke and heard the crying. He wasn't going to ask her, so he picked up his sandwich and took a bite.

* * *

**Okay, now I'm gonna explain why I'm so late. There are a few reasons, so I'll try to cover them all in order from least importaint to most importaint.**

**1. When I got home, I had to finish Super Paper Mario, and play Sonic and the Secret Rings. I'm done, now, though, so this reason is no longer relevent. **

** 2. The chapter itself was really hard to write. I still don't know if its as good as it could have been, but it covers about half the area I planned for this chapter. So, part two will be next time, I guess.**

** 3. Work is sapping MUCH more of my time than I thought it would initially. I didn't intend to work 8 hours a day for 5 days a week, but such is the life of someone who works in Fast Food. I seriously had more free time in college.**

** 4. My Grandmother took a terrible fall during my week of Finals, so lots of my time back has been spent visiting her. While the time getting carted around has given me time to level up stuff in Diamond, it hasn't helped write this (since I require solitude when I write). I'm not blaming my grandma for falling, and I'm not sure how it refects on me for listing this as a reason that I didn't get the chapter done on time, but it was a time investment I hadn't counted on initially.**

**I'd also like to take this moment to apologize to anyone who's expected my presense on forums around their websites. I've hardly had time to check my EMail, much less go to forums. I try to spend my time working on the story, and its just been a crazy week. **

**So, now, I'm gonna make an announcement. My Grandma may be getting better, but my work schedule will probably remain constant. In other words, work on chapters may have to slow down. I'm not gonna leave you all hangin', nor am I gonna rush to the end. It'll come in due time. I'm just saying that it may be longer between chapters than it has been in the past. I hope you all can bare with me as I try to get a way where I can work on the chapters with such efficency as I did in college.**

**Peace out, Y'all**

**PikamasterADV, the Author  
**


	26. Ashes to Ashes Part 2

**Hey, new chapter only took a week. I may still have a schedule yet... But I'm not saying I do until I have more weeks in a row to go with it. And enjoy this one as much as you can.**

* * *

"You idiots!" the man shrouded in darkness slammed his fist against his desk, causing his lackeys to recoil from the other side of the screen. "Even with their help, you couldn't steal one Pokémon?"

"Well, you see…" the woman with long red hair tried to explain.

"Dat twerpette was just too tough!" the small Pokémon cried, throwing himself on the mercies on the man on the screen.

"Just give us one more chance, Boss," the blue-haired man begged. "We'll get it this time!"

The man turned around in his chair. "You have one more chance," he sighed. "But this time, I want you to report to me directly."

"D-D-Directly?!" the trio swallowed.

"Of course," he turned his chair to face them again, "so that I may give you your reward…" He picked up his coffee mug and held it up to the camera, as if offering it. "…or your punishment," he shouted, tossing the cup at the camera. The shattering frightened the trio and caused them to jump backwards. "Am I clear?"

"Crystal," the blue haired man swallowed.

"Good," the man said. "Now, get on your way, and I'm sick of waiting. I want Pikachu, and this time, don't screw it up!." The monitor flicked off, and the trio let out a sigh of relief.

"Do we even know where Pikachu is?" the man asked, poking his head out of the basket of the balloon.

"It can't be dat hard ta find," the Pokémon climbed over his head, looking.

The woman pulled a pair of binoculars out and gazed over the wide ocean. A grin cracked on her face.

"Get ready, boys," she cackled. "I think our 'ship' has come in."

* * *

Ash awoke in his dark room to his own growling stomach. "Aw, man…" he whined. "That sandwich wasn't enough to feed me at all."

"Would you like some breakfast?" Anabel popped her head in the door, smiling.

Ash blinked for a moment, surprised. "I-uh, guess. Shouldn't you be treatin' me more like a prisoner and less like I'm a guest?"

"But you are a guest, Ash!" Anabel continued to smile. "We're bringing you to that Frontier Brain. He's a really great guy, I know you'll like him."

Ash raised his eyebrow. "Where did that praise come from?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just having a really good day!" Anabel giggled. "Let me go get your breakfast. I'll be right back!" With that, she skipped down the hall, whistling to herself.

Ash waited for a moment, and then quietly creeped to the door. He tried the knob, and found it open. He cracked it open and peeked out the door. _There's no one around_, he thought. _I could try to make an escape. But what about Charizard? I can't escape without him…_ Ash sighed. Then, he snapped his fingers, smiling. "I know! I'll just get Anabel to show me where Charizard's bein' kept. Then I'll be able to get out of here."

He sat back on his bed and noticed something pink next to him. He smiled as he picked the ribbon he and May won back up. He held it up to the light so he was able to see his reflection in it. His smile then turned into a frown. "I hope she's alright. I haven't seen her since I sent her after Pikachu… I hope she got him back from Team Rocket…"

"Breakfast is here!" Anabel practically sang as she opened the door. "I hope you like biscuits and gravy!"

"That'll be fine, thanks," Ash smiled before returning to his reflection on the halved medal.

Anabel sat next to him. "What's that?" she asked.

"Oh, this is half of a ribbon that May and I won in a Contest Battle back in Kanto," he said.

Anabel looked as though a knife had been stuck in her.

Ash blinked, then continued. "Anyway, I was just lookin' at it, hopin' that she and Pikachu were okay, since I haven't seen 'em since I was captured." He then folded his arms. "And I still don't know why you couldn't just ask everyone if they wanted to come."

"I guess that's because he wanted to meet you alone," Anabel patted him on the back. "It's okay."

Ash felt a chill run through him under Anabel's touch. He slid away from the girl a bit and then began eating the food he was given.

* * *

May and Pikachu slept in the boat Totodile floated lazily over the waves. The girl was uncomfortably sprawled out over the seats on the boat, with Pikachu asleep in her arms. The Big Jaw Pokémon paddled slowly through the water, not overly concerned about the pace. 

Pikachu's ears twitched, and then he looked up. After popping his head up and looking around the ship, he shook May awake.

The groggy girl sat up, and looked to where the Pokémon was pointing. "Oh, not now!" she sighed. "I was trying to take a nap…" With that, she shouted to Totodile and told him to pick up the pace so they could pull away from what troubled them.

From the basket on what troubled them, Meowth handed put down his binoculars. "Dat is da Twerpette!" he exclaimed.

"I think she saw us," James noted from her actions. "We'd better speed this up.

"Wobbuffet!" Jessie's Pokémon agreed.

"Mime mime!" Mime Jr. mimicked Wobbuffet's pose.

* * *

Ash finished up his meal and dropped the plate in Anabel's lap. "Thanks for breakfast," he smiled, patting his full belly.

"No problem, Ash," Anabel smiled. "I'm glad you liked it."

Ash smiled and stood up. "I think it'd be a good time for a walk," he said. "Why don't we go see my Charizard? I'm sure that he'd like to see me."

Anabel frowned. "Um… your Charizard?" she asked. "I don't think that'd be a good idea. You might be able to get away on that."

"I won't, trust me!" the trainer lied. "I just wanna see how he's doin'."

"Well, I don't see the harm in it, then," Anabel smiled. She opened the door and beckoned Ash to follow her. "Why don't we go check on Charizard? I know where he is."

Ash smiled, his plan working so far. "Alright, lead the way."

Anabel lead the way down the hall back past the interrogation room Ash was held in the night before (or at least, the night before from what he could tell). A few more doors down, and she opened the door to a staircase. Ash groaned. "Isn't there an elevator?" he asked.

"Well, maybe," Anabel shrugged. "But we can do the stairs."

Anabel led the trainer down one staircase and then turned and went down another. She opened the door that was in front of them, then took Ash into the large room across the hall.

Ash pushed Anabel out of the way so he could get a better look at his friend. Charizard had fallen asleep through the thrashing, and slept apparently peacefully.

Ash gulped. _I hadn't thought this far ahead,_ he thought. _What could I do to free Charizard?_

"Anabel!" the voice of Brandon filled the room. "Where are you?!"

Both Ash and Anabel jumped. "Uh oh…" Ash gulped. "Where's that comin' from?"

Anabel fumbled the communicator out of her pocket. "I-I'm here, Brandon," she gulped.

"Where did that voice come from, Anabel?" Ash asked, still looking around as if trying to protect his sleeping and restrained Pokémon.

"It was a loudspeaker," she said quickly. She then returned to listing to her communicator. "I brought him to visit his Charizard. Uh huh. Yeah. Okay. Got it. We'll be down in a few moments."

"What?" Ash gulped. "What do you mean, 'We'll be down in a few moments'?"

"We've just about reached the island," Anabel snapped the communicator closed. "I'm to bring you down to the bottom floor, and then we'll land on the Fortress. From the bottom floor, we'd be able to access the Frontier Brain's room, where he wishes to speak with you."

"Alright," Ash grunted. _Darn it! I was about to try my escape, too. I guess I'll have to give it a shot, later._

* * *

"Faster!" May paddled her hand through the waters. "Faster!"

"Pika!" the Pokémon tried his best to help.

"To to die!" the Water-Type croaked. He was going as fast as he could.

But it wasn't fast enough.

"Slow down, Twerpette!" James shouted from the balloon that was chasing her. "You're only making it harder on yourself."

"No way" May shouted back. "You're not getting Pikachu!"

"If you think you've got a chance this time, little girl," Jessie sneered. "You're in trouble."

"And without your twerpish boyfriend, you may as well make it double!"

"An evil as old as the galaxy!" Jessie called from the ballon

"Sent here to fulfill our destiny!" James brandished a rose.

"With Meowth, and dat's me!" Meowth smiled at the girl they were slowly gaining on.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" the red-haired woman stood, projecting her voice.

"To extend our reach to the stars above!" James stood by her side, making sure May couldn't escape the sounds of their voices.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"And Meowth are da names!"

"Anywhere there's peace in the Universe…" the maroon haired Rocket winked as she raised her hand into the air.

"…Team Rocket…" James said as he did the same.

"…will be dere…" Meowth hopped onto their shoulders.

"…to make everything worse!" the trio pointed to May's boat.

"Wobbuffet!" the Patient Pokémon added.

"Mime, Mime," Mime Jr. added, hopping onto James' shoulder.

"Can we do this later?" May pleaded. "I've got a boyfriend to rescue from certain doom."

"Well, we'll leave you to that," James called. "It'll cost you one Pikachu!"

"Over my dead body!" shouts May. "You'll never get Pikachu from me!"

"Oh yeah?" Jessie glared. "Is that a challenge?" She picked up a mechanical arm from inside the balloon and aimed it at the boat. She launched to extending arm, but missed the boat as Totodile steered to the side, causing the hand to dive into the ocean.

"Nyah nyah!" May stuck her tongue out at the Rockets as she pulled down on her cheek with a finger, exposing the red under her eye.

Jessie growled at the girl. "Meowth, James, do something! We need to catch Pikachu!"

"Alright then," James reached for a Pokéball. "Go, Cacnea!"

In a flash, his green, spherical Grass-type appeared. "Cacnea!" she announced.

"Shoot holes in that twerpish vessel with Pin Missile!" James commanded.

Cacnea aimed her arms down, and launched the needles from her arms at May's tiny ship.

"Pikachu, knock 'em back with Thunderbolt!" May fired back.

Pikachu leapt into the air and shot a bolt of electricity at Cacnea. The energy shot through the needles, knocking them into the ocean. The bolt struck Cacnea and knocked her back into James arms. The Pokémon cried and gave James a thorny hug.

"C'mon!" Jessie shouted. "One twerp can't be this tough!" She fired her arm again, and this time grappled Pikachu.

"Oh no you don't!" May grabbed onto the end of the arm, holding Pikachu still. "Not while I'm here, you don't!" Jessie struggled to retract the arm, but May kept it pulled out while she struggled with Pikachu. "I've almost got you," she grunted, moving one of the fingers out of the way.

"Guys, do something!" Jessie squealed. "She's gonna get away with it!"

Meowth pulled out his trusty bazooka from the basket. "Dis blast shell should knock dat twerp offa her feet," he grinned. He aimed at May's boat and pulled the trigger.

The rocket flew from the bazooka and crashed into May's boat with an explosion. The arm retracted, but once it cleared the huge splash made by the explosion, it was clear that the hand had been blown off.

"Look what you did, Meowth!" Jessie showed him the blown-off arm. "Now what are we supposed to use?"

"I think we have more problems than that," James gulped.

The Rocket Trio all watched intently as the haze created by Meowth's blast disappeared.

The back half of the boat was missing, but the front was still floating, although it was quickly sinking. The rope that was attached to Totodile was severed.

There was no sign of May, Totodile, or Pikachu.

"Um, guys…" James gulped, quickly becoming frightened. "I think we made a boo-boo."

* * *

Ash held his head in his hands as he followed behind Anabel and Brandon. They had left through a hatch on the bottom of the Battle Pyramid and directly entered the building that the pyramid had landed on.

"Where's Greta?" Ash asked, still annoyed that his escape attempt had been foiled by their arrival.

"She's on an assignment," Anabel answered.

"That's no fun," Ash huffed. "And how am I supposed to have a good battle against this Brain if I've only got one Pokémon?"

"You should probably talk to him about that," Brandon stated plainly, his arms still crossed.

Ash groaned again. "Don't you guys know anything?" he asked, getting impatient. "I want to get back to May and the others soon."

Anabel giggled as they stopped in front of a large door. "I know that we're here."

"We are?" Ash jumped. He stepped in out from between the Brains who guided him to the large, metal double doors. He pushed against them for a moment, and they glided open. The doors bumped lightly against the doorstops in the room, but their light weight and construction caused them to make a slamming sound. Ash stopped for a moment while the doors stopped ringing before he entered the room. "Are you that Frontier Brain I was brought to battle?" Ash shouted.

"Indeed I am," a man sitting on a large chair behind a desk turned to around in his chair to him.

Ash grunted at the brief answer and stepped forward. "I'm Ash Ketchum from-"

"I know who you are, Ash," the man answered, taking a sip from his mug. "I will apologize for being short with you. I just received some terrible news that I believe you will be interested in."

Ash raised his eyebrow. "What news?" he asked, now much calmer than before.

"Come here so I can see your face, Ash," the man beckoned from the dimly lit part of the room.

Ash nodded uneasily as he stepped further into the room an onto the elevated step where the desk the man was sitting at was. Anabel followed closely, but Brandon hung back. "I'm going to get back to my Pyramid," he said. "I'm going to go over some hieroglyphs I found recently."

The man nodded from the shade. "Very well. Good work, Brandon."

The Pyramid King nodded and left down the hall.

Ash stepped up in front of the desk and got a better look at the man. He wore a suit as black as raven feathers with a white vest underneath. His dark hair was slicked back, and his jaw was prominent. He looked at the trainer and smiled, but then sighed and returned to a frown.

Ash blinked for a moment. _Have I seen this guy somewhere before?_ he thought. He then shook his head. _I can't have seen this guy before. He lives all the way out here._ But that familiar feeling remained.

"Are you feeling alright?" the man asked him.

Ash shrugged. "I guess… he said. "What's your name?"

"Call me 'Evergreen'," the man sat down his mug.

"Okay, Evergreen," Ash said. "Now what's this news?"

Evergreen pressed a button on his desk. A while projector screen rolled down from the ceiling. "As I'm sure you've heard, I've been interested in meeting you for a long time, Ash." Evergreen said. "I've been keeping track of your battles, and your progress."

"You sound almost as bad as Cyndi…" Ash chuckled.

"I know about your friend," Evergreen chuckled. "As I do about your relationship to the Cerulean Gym Leader, your companion who works at Oak's lab, and Coordinator who's daughter of a Gym Leader in Hoenn who is very important to you."

"What do you know about May?!" Ash suddenly became very defensive. Anabel held his arm back from pouncing on the man.

"I knew this would be the sort of reaction that news of this nature would entail, but I feel I must tell you before we begin our discussion," Evergreen moved his hand near a button on his desk. His desk was covered in buttons, and nearly all had a letter label (at least, from what Ash could tell). Evergreen pressed a button and the projector turned on, showing a video. "Perhaps it would be best if you saw it with your own eyes."

"May!" Ash shouted at the screen. There she was, in a boat, paddling quickly through the water. The Pokémon next to her was Pikachu, who was also paddling as fast as its small arms could. Breaking water at a much faster pace was Ash's Totodile, obscured by the waves he was making.

The camera zoomed out, and a familiar balloon chased May down. There was no sound, so the entire room was silent as Ash watched the scene play out. He rolled his eyes as Team Rocket began performing their motto, even going as far as to mock their voices during it. His jaw dropped as Jessie aimed her arm at May and went for the grapple. He silently cheered when Totodile maneuvered the boat out of the way, and smiled at May's taunt. When Cacnea appeared, Ash knew that Pikachu would take care of it, and it did with a massive Thunderbolt. Jessie fired the arm again, and this time grabbed Pikachu. Ash gasped as May struggled against the pull of the device. "C'mon, May!" Ash shouted. "Fight 'em off!"

Ash's cries were silenced as Meowth fired the rocket.

His eyes widened and his mouth ran dry as the splash and explosion filled the screen.

He fought back tears and gritted his teeth as the explosion cleared, and there was no sign of his beloved or his best friend in the wreakage.

With a rasp in his voice and fire in his eyes, Ash turned to Evergreen. "Is this some kinda sick joke?!" he shouted, more angry than sad. "What are you tryin' to pull?!"

"Unfortunately, this is not a joke of any kind, Ash," Evergreen remained calm and solemn. "Those members of Team Rocket… they have killed May and Pikachu. And since May was taking care of your other Pokémon as well as her's, they are also gone.

Ash froze at that knowledge. "No…" he whispered at first. "No, they can't be gone! Not May! Not Pikachu! Not Aipom or the others!" he grew more frantic. The tears began to flow as Ash fell to his knees and began pounding the floor with his fist. "They can't be dead…"

Anabel remained speechless, covering her mouth at both the movie and the scene Ash was making.

"I know this is hard for you, so I'm willing to wait for you to come to some terms with this," Evergreen said, rising. He walked around, his feet clicking against the ground in the silent room. He put his hand on Ash's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Take as much time as you need. I'm willing to put off our discussion until you're ready."

Ash choked back some tears and nodded.

"Anabel," Evergreen spoke to her, "please take Ash to the room he will be staying at during his stay with us."

Anabel nodded and took Ash by the hand. The boy rose, but he was still crying over his lost loved ones, and simply let Anabel lead him out the door and down the hall.

* * *

**hides**


	27. A Prophecy Fulfilled

**Well, I made no promises on a schedule. At least its here. I believe this chapter is a bit plot heavy, so I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Ash had calmed down from his hysterics in the room with Evergreen. Anabel led him by the hand down the hall. The Frontier Brain opened a door on the hallway and lead Ash inside.

The boy didn't bother looking up. Anabel sighed and led him over to the bed. Ash approached the bed and simply fell over onto it.

Anabel stepped back. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

Ash slowly shook his head 'no.'

Anabel raised an eyebrow. "Do you need anything else?"

"Just… make sure Charizard's okay," he requested sadly.

"Alright…" she said. "I'll go check on him now. I'll be back to check on you in a bit."

Ash nodded sadly, and Anabel left the room.

Ash turned over onto his back. _May…_ he thought to himself, _you can't be gone… _He turned over onto his side. _Pikachu… I don't know what I'll do without you… The people I was closest to… the ones I loved the most… are gone now. Pikachu… all of the Pokémon I had with me… _Ash, knowing that he was alone, let his tears flow. _They're gone now… May… she was… she was so special…_

Ash thought back to the start of his journey, about Pikachu. _We went through so much together, and we always stuck together._ He shifted gears, thinking about the day he arrived in Hoenn. _We went together, just the two of us, and there we met… probably the only girl I'd ever have fallen for. She was pretty, fun, and after a few days, I know she really loved Pokémon as much as I did. And then I started to love her, too. It wasn't much at first, but after I invested myself into her, like I did my Pokémon… I guess it was natural… and she felt the same about me… But now, she's been taken from me… by the same group of people that followed me since the first day of my journey, and followed me even to Hoenn and May… _"Team Rocket…" he growled. "They're horrible. They finally took Pikachu from me… and they also took May… I'll never forgive them…" Ash's arm began shaking with anger. "Never!" he shouted.

"Ash…?" Anabel squeaked, peeking in the door.

Ash sat up and crossed his legs underneath him. "Oh, hey Anabel."

"I-uh, I checked on Charizard like you asked me to," she said. "He's doing fine. I… I didn't tell him. About May and Pikachu, I mean."

"Oh…" Ash sighed. He realized that he still had tears on his cheeks. He rubbed them off on his arm. "Thank you."

"Do you need anything else?" Anabel asked, concerned over him.

"Just some time alone, please," he said. "I need time to think."

"Alright, Ash," Anabel smiled weakly. "I'll be just outside the door if you need anything."

Ash nodded and the Salon Maiden left the room. He fell back onto his back once again.

His backpack had found its way onto the ground next to the rather lavish bed he lay on. Ash sat up and took a better look at the room. He hadn't been paying attention to it before, but it was pretty extravagant. A large mirror sat to the left, with the entrance to the hall directly in front of him. On his right were other dressers, and his backpack at the side of the bed.

Ash reached over the side and pulled up his pack. He reached into the pocket he kept all of his special things in. He found the ribbon that he and May won in Kanto and pulled it out. He looked at it, thinking of the girl who once owned the other half of the ribbon. He stood up and walked over to the mirror and placed the half of his ribbon against it. In the reflection, the ribbon was hole again, a symbol of their complete love and trust of each other. However, the other half was only held by his reflection, and it was unlikely that he would ever see the girl he loved smile at him ever again.

Returning to his pack, he pulled out a Pokéball. It had a small, lightning insignia on it. Ash expanded it, and then gave the ball a tight hug. His best friend once stayed on his shoulder, or would be held in his arms. That, too, would happen no longer.

"I'd give anything to see them again…" Ash sighed to himself. "I just can't believe that they're gone."

He sighed and dropped the Pokéball and ribbon back into the pack, and fell back on the bed again. He felt his stomach growl. "I guess it's lunchtime…" Ash sighed.

Anabel cracked the door open. "Ash?" she asked. "I thought I heard your stomach growl. Are you hungry?"

Ash laughed. "Your hearing must be good," he said. "I am a bit hungry."

"Is there anything you'd like?" Anabel asked, still not entering the room.

Ash thought for a moment. "Bring me some ramen," he finally responded. "With a bottle of ketchup on the side.

* * *

""I can't believe May left us again!" Cyndi shouted at the top of her lungs before slipping back down into the chair she sat in, hugging Happiny while she pouted. The Pokémon Center's lobby was rather empty; Trainers were staying away after the Contest Hall had collapsed, and there weren't any other reasons for trainers to visit, really.

Brock lifted his head from his hands. "I should have been paying closer attention to what she was doing," the Pokémon Breeder sighed. "I'm sure she was laying hints that she was gonna run off again…"

"Well, all we gotta do is let the Pokémon Nurses around the area know, and then we'd be able to find her, right?" Cyndi said, rocking the baby Pokémon.

Lucy stepped back into the room and snapped her cell phone shut. "I wish we had that much time," Lucy said. "But I've got other problems, and I would like it if you came with me," she sighed, looking to Brock. Her face became highlighted with pink and she looked away after a moment. "I mean, if you don't mind coming with me."

"Oh, Queen Lucy," Brock slid across the ground to her. "I would follow you to the ends of the earth!" he dramatically announced. "Where ever you go, I will follow. No mountain is too high! No valley to low! No river to wide!"

Cyndi lurched out her hand and yanked down Brock's ear to her level. "The theatrics aren't necessary," she sighed.

"Happi!" the Pokémon chirped.

"Anyway," Cyndi looked up to the Frontier Brain, "what kind of thing would we be helping you with?"

"The Benefactor wants us to go search for the Sapphire again. He believes he knows of the location, and I'm to head there to secure it," Lucy explained.

"We're not gonna be stealin' anything, are we?" Cyndi furrowed her eyebrows. "That wouldn't sit right with me."

"From what I understand," Lucy said, "the Sapphire is in a cave where they used to be mined out. Apparently, one large enough is supposedly left in there, but it's at the end of a confusing line of tunnels."

"And what about May?" Brock asked. "When are we going to search for her?"

"Knowing her," Lucy shrugged, "she probably left to speak with Scott, to see if he knows anything about Ash's disappearance. We might run into her, but we should be careful if we find her after she finds Scott…"

Brock sat up. "What do you mean?" he asked. "What could Scott do?"

"I'll explain on the way…" she said.

* * *

"You killed them?!" the Boss was not amused with his underlings or their report of what happened when they chased down the Pikachu and his previous caretaker. "After all this time at chasing that damned Pikachu, you end up killing it?!"

"It was an accident!" Jessie pleaded. "The twerps have gotten out of things like this before! I'm sure-"

"I don't want any harebrained explanations!" he shouted at them through the monitor. "I want you to come to the base immediately so I can give you what you deserve!"

"That might take a bit, Boss," James rubbed the back of his head.

"What are you babbling about now?" he asked, still irritated.

"Well," Meowth stepped up to explain, "in da panic when we thought we killed twoipette, we... kinda… pop our last balloon."

"Then where are you communicating from, nitwits?" he shouted.

James looked over the rim of the basket. A Remoraid hopped up, and then back into the water that surrounded them on all sides.

"We're kinda goin' wit da flow," Meowth joked.

"Whatever, you morons," the Boss was exasperated. "Just get here as soon as possible." With that, the screen turned off.

The Rocket Trio let out a long sigh. "I'm glad that's over," James sighed.

"Mime, mime," the Pokémon added, mimicking his posture.

"What reason do we have to go back to the Boss, anyway," James asked his comrades. "If we go back, something bad will happen. Why don't we just split now while the splitting's good?"

"Do you know what he'll do to us if we don't show up and he eventually finds us?" Jessie replied. "Getting fired is the lenient punishment. What would happen then is much worse."

"That's too bad then," James sighed. "I guess we better start rowing."

"Wobbuffet!"

* * *

Anabel felt herself almost vomit when she saw Ash take a swig of the ketchup after he had wolfed down several bowls of ramen. Ash himself cringed while swallowing the ketchup. "That wasn't that bad," he coughed, after taking a drink from a nearby water cup. "Kinda good, actually. I can see why Pikachu liked that so much."

"Eh, right…" Anabel chuckled uneasily. "Anyway, Ash," she started, "I wanted to talk to you about Evergreen."

"What about him?" Ash blinked, setting down the empty cup.

"Just wondering what you thought about him," Anabel shrugged.

Ash pictured the mysterious man in his mind. "He seemed nice…" Ash began. "But… I dunno, it feels like I've seen him before."

Anabel was curious. "Can you think of where?"

Ash focused. "I… I can't really put my finger on it, so it must have been a long time ago."

"I see…" Anabel leaned back in her chair before landing it back on its feet. "Evergreen's a really nice man, Ash," she said. "Scott's always been a bit shady, but Evergreen treats me like a good friend of his."

"I dunno," Ash huffed. "I mean, it seems like he's pretty nice, but I guess with all the weirdness with all the Frontier Brains recently, I'm kinda suspicious."

"Why don't we go talk to him, then?" Anabel offered. "Then we'll be able to put all of these worries to rest, okay?"

Ash stood up. "You know what? I'd like some answers, too. Let's go talk to Evergreen."

Anabel smiled sweetly at Ash, but he didn't notice. He had already gone back into his pack and pulled out the halved Ribbon. "I've got to know the full story," he spoke softly.

Anabel felt part of her break off, but she retained her composure. "I'll lead the way, Ash," she said.

The building was comprised mostly of metal, as Ash saw as Anabel led the way. Nearly all the doors were automated, but there weren't that many. In fact, it barely seemed like there was anyone else in the building. Anabel led him down a long hallway with few doors in it. At the end of the hall was a rather grandiose door. Ash and Anabel stood in front of it, causing the door to slide open, much like the doors in LaRousse City did.

Ash realized that this room was different from the last. Evergreen was at a rather important looking desk filling out some form of paper work or another. The room was much brighter than the one they had first met in.

"Evergreen," Anabel stepped in first and greeted the man. "Ash wanted to talk to you about some things."

"Not just some things," Ash pushed passed her. "I have a lot of questions to ask you."

Evergreen looked up and still wore a smile on his face. "Ah, Ash. I'm glad to see that you're feeling better."

Ash squeezed the ribbon in his hand. "I've got a lot of stuff to ask you, so we better get started."

"By all means," he pleasantly motioned. "Have a seat."

"E-excuse me," Anabel stuttered. "May I stay in here?"

"I guess," Ash shrugged.

"Be our guest," Evergreen smiled.

Anabel blushed. "Thank you."

"Now Ash," Evergreen leaned back in his chair. "What's on your mind?"

"First off, why was it necessary to kidnap me?" he asked, rather irritated. "I don't see why you had to separate me from my friends."

"Ah," Evergreen sighed. "An excellent question from an excellent trainer. It was for your safety, Ash."

"My safety?" the trainer repeated, confused.

"Yes, Ash," Evergreen said. "I wasn't sure when Scott would make his move."

"What do you mean?" Ash narrowed his gaze.

"Excuse me," Evergreen apologized. "I'm speaking out of order, aren't I? I suppose I should tell you how the Battle Frontier got started, shouldn't I?"

"You know how the Battle Frontier got started?" Ash asked.

"Yes, because I knew Scott before he changed…" Evergreen grew solemn. "The love of money is the root of all evil, as they say."

"Scott got greedy for money?" Ash blinked. "Then why did he need a Benefactor?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Evergreen smirked. "There is no Benefactor."

"Say what?" Ash was shocked. "How come?"

"Scott just used this idea of a Benefactor to protect his image, like a child telling his parents that 'the Devil made me do it', or such nonsense," Evergreen explained. "Scott planed to split the Battle Frontier around Kanto all along, and lied to the Brains to get them to join. Why do you think he suddenly changed things once he got his seventh Brain?"

"You mean Brandon?" Ash blinked.

"Precisely," Evergreen acknowledged. "Scott has been using this myth of the Benefactor to protect himself. The Battle Frontier is actually quite profitable, and Scott has most of the money made from the work for himself."

"But then why does he want the Ruby and Sapphire?" Ash asked.

"That's so obvious," Anabel rolled her eyes. "They're huge jewels, Ash. They're obviously very valuable. That's why he wants them."

"So, Scott has been using the Battle Frontier to get rich?" Ash gathered his thoughts. "That seems so… unlike him… I thought he loved watching Pokémon Battles."

"He tells people that," Anabel stood up, "but he's just a greedy, greasy slime ball."

"But then, does that mean he hired Team Rocket with all that money?" Ash tried to grasp the entire situation.

"Team Rocket is a horrible organization, run by its own lust for power," Evergreen said. "But every organization needs money. I guess Scott had enough to be able to buy their services."

Ash's hands began to shake. "So… when Team Rocket… when they… they attacked May… it was Scott who wanted…"

"I see…" Evergreen spun his tall chair so that the back was facing Ash and Anabel. "I never thought of it that way. That means that Scott is responsible for May and Pikachu's deaths."

Ash crashed his fists onto Evergreen's desk. "That… that creep! I'll never forgive him! Never!"

Anabel swallowed the fear that rose in her throat at Ash's emotional outburst.

"I'll get him back!" Ash shouted to the ceiling, his eyes burning with renewed tears and anger. "I'll do to him what he had done to May and Pikachu! I'll… I'll kill him!"

Anabel fell out of her seat. "K-kill? Aren't you taking this a bit too far, Ash?"

Ash's auburn eyes were cold and dark when he turned his gaze to Anabel. "He took them away from me," he growled. "I'll take away from him tenfold."

"Admirable spirit, Ash," Evergreen smiled. "But I believe you'll require training. Although I have opened the eyes of the Frontier Brains to Scott's underhandedness, he'll still likely have protection from Team Rocket when you find him, and with just Charizard, you'll be hard pressed to match up to them in battle."

"Can you help me train, then?" Ash asked Evergreen. "You're supposedly the Eight Frontier Brain, right? That means you're powerful, right?"

"I am modestly powerful, but nothing compared to your own strength, Ash," Evergreen sighed. "Which is why Scott wanted you to come down here in the first place."

"What now?" Ash sat back down in the chair.

"Scott made a wager with me. As an old friend of his, I constantly wanted him to change his ways. To be like he was when he was before he became so corrupt. So he sent a challenger to me. If I would defeat him in battle, Scott would sell off the Battle Frontier, and give the money away to charity. If the challenger won, I'd have to become another one of his Frontier Brains. Scott sent you because you're such a powerful Pokémon Trainer, Ash."

"I don't want to fight you, though," Ash stepped back. "I want to fight Scott."

"So, as you can see, we are on the same side," Evergreen spun his chair back around to face Ash. "I am also a fairly powerful trainer, and I will help you with techniques that will allow you to easily destroy Scott and any Trainer that dares to try to shield him from justice."

"Thank you, Evergreen," Ash nodded. "I won't let you down."

"Head down to the basement, Ash," Evergreen said. "I had your Charizard released down there so he could stretch, rest, and get something to eat. You should go talk to him. We'll train later today."

* * *

**So, what does this little development hold for our heroes? As a matter of fact, who's left to be our heroes? I guess it'll be the Adventures of Brock and Cyndi from now on.**

**I'm kidding, I'm kidding. See you next time.  
**


	28. Hospital Thrills

**Hey, that a fast update this time! I credit having two days off from work in a row that allowed me to work on this. Also, having no games to play, as well as my Grandmother being home and well now have eased up my time comitments. I may be able to spend some time on the internet and stuff again! But that's not why you're here. Read the chapter! Lots of you want to know the kinds of things that happen in this one!**

* * *

"_With one Pokémon down on each side, and only two minutes remaining," MC Lilian announced from the floor of the arena, her sporty visor looking into the crowd, "this Grand Festival match is almost over!"_

"_Grand Festival?" May asked herself, furrowing her eyebrows. "As in, the Kanto Grand Festival?"_

_She looked across the arena to her opponent. It was a boy close to her in height, his green hair fixed according to his own specifications. His emerald eyes shot into May like a bad memory, and in his hand he held a Pokéball, assumedly one of the ones that belonged to a Pokémon that was just knocked out._

_May surveyed the field, seeing her Combusken squaring off against his Pokémon. It had a grey coat, with a large blade protruding from its forehead. His dark eyes glared at May's not-yet-fully-evolved Pokémon, ready to prove himself to his master. "This already happened, didn't it?" May asked herself._

"_C'mon May!" she heard a voice call from the side of the arena._

_Looking over, she saw some of her best friends and her little brother cheering for her in this important battle._

"_Alright, then," she grinned. "I'll have to win this, won't I?" She pointed forcefully at Absol. "Combusken, use Mega Kick!"_

"_Absol," her opponent shouted, "use Iron Tail!"_

_The two Pokémon leapt at each other, Absol's tail and Combusken's comb and foot both glowing as they brought them into their opponents. The connection could be heard throughout the arena. Both Pokémon pushed off from each other, jumping away._

"_Absol, Razor Wind now!" the opposing coordinator commanded._

_On his command, Absol spun around in the air, and launched a blade of vacuumed air at Combusken, catching the Pokémon in the air before she could land. The blade exploded against May's Pokémon, and she tumbled across the ground, laying flat on her back._

"_Combusken!" May shouted to her Pokémon. "Please, get up!"_

"_Absol," the green-haired boy shouted, "finish it with Water Pulse!"_

_Absol formed an orb of water in the air above his head, and brought it crashing down into the ground. The water splashed out in huge waves that engulfed Combusken and threatened to engulf May as well._

"_Combusken!" May shouted. "Get up! I know you can!"_

_From underneath the rushing water, Combusken's claw broke the surface of the water, but the rest of her body was still held under the waves. "Combusken! Fight it! I know you can get up and win this! Do it for me! Do it for-"_

"-Ash!" May lurched up from her laying position to be sitting up in a bed. She let out a sigh, saying "Not again… I hate it when I just wake up and don't know where I am…" The Pokémon Coordinator looked down, and saw that she was wearing some sort of thin, nylon robe. Moving her hands up and down her own back allowed her to discover two facts about this robe. Firstly, it was tied in the back by thin strings to keep it around her body. Second, it had no back, meaning that she was bare on that side. May then noticed that she didn't seem to be wearing anything else other than the robe. Her undergarments, gloves, bandana, all of it was gone.

She remained silent for a moment.

Then, she let out a high pitched scream at the top of her lungs.

May began hyperventilating as several men in long white coats began rushing into the room. They all began asking her questions. "What's wrong?" "What happened?" "Are you alright?" "Check her temperature!"

"I'd be alright if I had more clothes!" the girl shouted, covering her body with the blanket she was under. "Someone get these perverts out of here!"

"Get out!" A familiar, feminine voice called. "All of you!"

"Yes, ma'am," all the men shouted at once. They quickly filed out of the room and left a single woman inside the door.

"Nurse Joy?" May blinked, continuing to cover herself.

"That's 'Doctor' Joy, to you," Joy said, holding up a clip board. "I see that our little 'seashore girl' has finally woken up."

"'Seashore girl'?" May blinked, allowing the blanket to fall from her shoulders.

"That's what everyone's been calling you ever since you washed up here on the beach, unconscious," Joy said, indicating the name on the clipboard listing her as "Seashore Girl" in fairly plain handwriting. "I'm glad that you're feeling alright."

"Yeah, but… where am I?" she asked. "And where are my clothes… and Pokémon!?" May began to panic. "Where are my Pokémon?"

"Well, your Pikachu and Totodile are in the Pokémon Center, waiting for you to come around…" Joy began. "But Trainers are only allowed to carry six Pokémon. What were you doing with eleven?"

"Oh, not all of those Pokémon are mine," she said. "Five are mine; the other six belong to my boyfriend. The Pikachu and Totodile are his, actually."

"Oh, I see…" Joy turned grim. "We were able to find his Pikachu and Totodile because you were holding onto them when you washed up. We… found no sign of anyone else…"

"That's because he's been kidnapped," May explained, almost hyper in her explanation. "I was taking his Pokémon with me, and we were going to go find him, and the people who kidnapped him."

"And you ended up shipwrecked?" Joy asked.

"Yeah," May nodded. "I'm glad Pikachu's with us; otherwise Team Rocket would have him."

"What's this 'Team Rocket'?" the Doctor asked.

"They're a group of bad people who want to steal that Pikachu that my boyfriend has," May tried to explain. "I remember being chased by them… but it's all a blur now. I can't remember what happened that caused me to end up… well, in the ocean."

"On that note, we couldn't find a Pokéball that Pikachu was supposed to go in," Joy said. "We think it was lost in whatever caused you to end up here."

"That's not it," May said, "and where is 'here', anyway?"

"Oh, I forgot," Joy said. "This is Five Island's Dual Pokémon Center-Hospital. It's one of the few in the world that treats both humans and Pokémon."

"Five Island?" May gasped. "This is where I need to be!" The girl struggled to get out of the bed, but Dr. Joy held her down.

"We still need to perform some tests," Joy said. "We don't know how well you are."

"Aww, come on!" the coordinator complained. "I have to get going! Just bring me my clothes and Pokémon, and let me go!"

* * *

An emaciated Team Rocket finally pulled up to shore in their basket. The basket turned on its side, dumping out the Rocket Trio onto the beach.

"How long were we at sea, Meowth?" James asked.

"Only about four days," Meowth sighed. "We've gone witout food or water fa longer, right?"

"Wobbu-" the Pokémon said, before if began coughing hoarsely.

"But I don't think we'll survive much longer without anything," Jessie crawled over the boys and started crawling forward.

"Maybe the Boss will let us have one last meal?" James proposed as the Rockets climbed to their feet and began trudging through the forest towards the imposing building in the middle of a meadow.

"If we're lucky," Meowth sighed again, not very hopeful.

"At least we're close to the base," Jessie frowned. "We can get this over with."

* * *

"Well, you seem to be in perfect health," Joy noted on the clipboard. "I guess we can let you go."

"Great!" May hopped out of the bed, still wearing the backless nylon gown. "Now where are my clothes?"

"I had them washed, dried and hung up in that closet over there," Joy pointed to a closet very close to where May's bed was.

The girl dashed over and opened the door, and all her clothes hung there. At the bottom was her pack. She opened it up, and found that the Pokéballs were missing. _Which makes sense_, she told herself, _all my Pokémon are probably in the Pokémon Center portion of this building._ She went through her pack a bit further, and found the ribbon that she and Ash had won. At least, her half of that ribbon. She held it close to her for a moment before putting it back down in her pack. Picking out a set of her clothes, she got dressed after sending Joy out of the room. She looked around for her bandana, though, and wasn't able to find it. Growing worried, she put all her clothes back inside her pack and put it on before stepping out side.

"Um, Doctor Joy," she began, "was there a bandana anywhere in my things that you found?"

Joy shook her head no. "Everything that was brought in with when that man found you on the beach was in that closet, other than the Pokémon, who are in the Pokémon Center."

May groaned. "Aww, I can't believe I lost it!"

"If it's that important to you," Joy said, leading May down the hall, "go you go find the man who brought you in. He may be able to show you where you washed up, and it may be near by."

"How long ago did I wash up on the island?" May asked the doctor.

"About four days ago," Joy said after thinking for a moment. "You just kind of washed up on the beach. It's a miracle you survived whatever happened to you."

"Four days?" May's jaw dropped. "I've been out cold for four days?"

Doctor Joy nodded. "That's right. We've been feeding you through a gastric-nasal tube to keep you alive during that time."

"Gastro-what?" May blinked as they turned around a corner.

"It's a tube that goes in your nose that we send food through to get to your stomach," the Doctor explained.

"Gross!" May held the sides of her head. "I'm glad that's over!"

"It's a common procedure," Joy said. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"How far are we from the Pokémon Center part?" May asked wanting the subject to change.

"We're here," Joy said as they stepped around a corner. Another Joy stood at the counter, waving to the doctor.

"Hey, sis!" the Nurse Joy waved to the doctor. "I see that Seashore girl woke up!"

Doctor Joy sighed. "Yes, she did. She's ready to leave, and wants the Pokémon that were brought in with her."

"Okies!" Nurse joy giggled and turned to go into the back room. She came back with Ash's Pikachu on her shoulder, and ten Pokéballs held in her arms.

"Pikachu!" the electric Pokémon leapt from the Nurse to May.

The coordinator caught her boyfriend's partner in her arms. "I'm happy to see you, too, Pikachu!" May smiled, hugging the Pokémon close.

"I've got all the others here, too!" Joy smiled.

"I should probably talk to them about what's going on," May sighed. "I'll do it when I find Scott. They'll want to know a lot from him, too, I bet," she decided. For now, May put the Pokéballs in her bag, and had Pikachu perch on her shoulder. She scratched behind Pikachu's ears, and felt her hair again. "I might just go look for my bandana for a bit, first," she sighed.

"Oooh! Oooh!" Nurse Joy raised her hand into the air. "I have something for you from the guy that found you!"

"You do?" May raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"It's his address!" the Nurse practically threw the paper at May, who was just quick enough to catch it before it hit her face.

"Does he, uh, live on the island?" May asked.

"Of course, silly!" Nurse Joy giggled.

"Whatever," Doctor Joy rolled her eyes. "I'm going to get back to work. Sis, why don't you try to be serious, just for a little bit?" The Doctor turned back the way she came, and began studying the next page on her clipboard.

"That house is actually really easy to find," Nurse Joy smiled. "I visit the man who lives there lots! He's the house furthest outside town, heading east."

"And east would be…?" May asked, unsure of which direction east was.

"Straight out the door!" Joy pointed, giggling.

The giggly, energetic nurse unnerved May a bit. "Uh… thanks a lot. C'mon, Pikachu. Let's go see if we can find my bandana."

"Pikachu," he said as they left the Pokémon Center and began heading down the dirt road east, "pika pika Pikachu pika pikachu pikapika?"

"Like I said, we'll have our pow-wow when we find Scott," May explained again. "It'll be a great opportunity to make sure everyone's on the same page.

Pikachu reluctantly agreed as the couple continued down the path, heading to the outskirts of the town.

* * *

"I waited four days for you to arrive!" the Boss shouted at them. "Next time, carry a spare balloon, or alternative transportation, or something!"

The Rockets quivered in fear at being in the Boss' presence, hearing his thundering voice yell at them.

"We don't even see each other that much, sir," Jessie tried to lighten the mood. "Why don't we all sit down to a nice lunch, and we can talk about alternate transportation options?" James and Meowth, both rubbing their sweating palms together, nodded in unison with Jessie's suggestion. Jessie's Patient Pokémon and James' Mime Jr. also chimed in on her behalf

Giovanni smiled. "Yes, why not?" He then pressed the intercom button on his desk. "Please send in some refreshments for my guests and me."

Jessie, James, and Meowth all watched as Rocket grunts bussed in many trays of food, causing the trio to drool all over their mouths. The lids were lifted, and many roast fowl, cakes, and other succulent foods all taunted Jessie's group. The Rocket admirably sat on their hands, making sure not to lose control of themselves as they sat, nearly starving, watching the food being brought in.

Once the food stopped, the Boss stood up and stepped over to the many trays of food. "Aren't you going to grab a plate?" he asked them.

"We aren't worthy!" the Rocket quintet all bowed in reverence to their leader. Once Giovanni had his choice of the foods and had sat down, Jessie, James, and Meowth all picked up their plates and began piling food onto them, and then shoveling all they could get into their mouths, with Wobbuffet and Mime Jr. stealing pieces from their trainers' plates.

"I hope you're enjoying this 'last meal'," the Boss Rocket smiled as he swirled the wine in his glass around. "Because the matter of discussion is now your jobs."

The quintet all froze at that mention.

"No, go ahead and eat," Giovanni urged them. "You'll need the strength."

"Strength for what?" Meowth asked after swallowing his mouthful.

"I have a challenger I would like you to battle," Giovanni said. "If you win, you get to keep your jobs."

"That sounds easy enough," Jessie stood up, reenergized with the food.

"Just some challenger, huh?" James was also becoming over confident. "I'm sure that your agents can turn this challenger into chow mien before too long."

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime, mime!"

"Good," Giovanni smiled. "Because if you lose, I never want to see or hear you ever again, as long as you and I remain alive," he spoke with a sternness expected of his position. "Failure to remain away from my organization and off its payroll may be fatal. Am I making myself clear?"

"C-crystal…" Meowth gulped.

"Don't be so afraid, Meowth!" Jessie put her hand on his shoulder as James did the same.

"It's just one challenger," James boosted his confidence. "I'm sure we'll be able to handle it. Especially since it'll be two on one."

"Alright," Meowth sighed, "but I still tink dat dere's sometin' fishy goin' on."

* * *

"Is this the place?" May furrowed her eyebrows.

"Pika…" the Pokémon nodded after checking the numbers on the rusted mail box.

"What a… dump…" May frowned.

The house was really small. It appeared to have one room, maybe two small ones. The outside was overgrown with vines, and the grass grew over Pikachu's head. The Pokémon climbed back onto May's shoulder after stretching his legs for a bit. Thankfully, the stone path was clear, and May followed it to the old, wooden door.

May swallowed her fear, and pulled on the knocker and hit it against the door twice. "Well, no one's here," May laughed nervously. "I guess we better go look for Scott."

"Why go looking for him when he's right here?" the Frontier Owner's gruff voice came from the cracked doorway.

"S-Scott!?" May's face turned pale for a moment before lighting up with anger. "You! What did you do to Ash?!"

"Would you like your bandana back?" he asked, still smiling.

"Y… you have my bandana? Does that mean… you're the one who saved me?" May gulped.

"C'mon in, May," Scott said. "I know we have a lot to talk about."

Scott opened the door to his home and allowed May to step inside. The inside of the house wasn't much better kept than the outside. Many maps, letters, newspapers, and other media were stacked in organized piles about the room. Scott moved a box of video cassettes off of his couch, and offered May a seat. The girl took his offer and sat down, as Scott moved over to a large, comfortable chair. Pikachu kept his ears alert and his eyes on Scott, still not fully trusting the man.

"I know you don't trust me now, Pikachu," Scott said, "but hopefully you will after we're done with out discussion."

"Pikachu's not the only one who wants an explanation," May told him. She reached into her pocket and pulled out all ten of the Pokéballs, releasing her and Ash's Pokémon. Scott's house shook as the Pokémon all surrounded Scott in the room, making themselves comfortable. The Pokémon shot menacing glances at Scott, letting him know that he was under close observation.

Scott only laughed. "I didn't know it was storytelling hour," he joked.

* * *

Giovanni had lead the Rockets and their Pokémon into a large arena with an open roof. "I hope you're prepared," he said, smiling in a way that would frighten them.

"We're ready!" Jessie was confident of her victory. "Bring on this challenger! We'll show them what Team Rocket is made of!"

"Very well," Giovanni smiled. "I'll go let him know you're here."

He walked away from the Rockets to let them plan, and headed down the hall, to a room close to the opposing entrance of the arena. He knocked on the door a three times.

"Yes, Evergreen?" a youth with dull, auburn eyes opened the door. His eyes were still bloodshot from their late night training sessions. His clothes were tattered and torn by the flames of his chosen Pokémon, as well as other aspects of the harsh training.

"I've managed to capture those Rockets who killed your beloved and partner," he responded. "I've given them a wager. They may have their freedom if they defeat you in a battle."

"If that's the case," the youth responded, "they'll be lucky if they escape with their lives, much less their freedom."

"That's the spirit," the older smiled to the younger. "You need to get them back for what they've done."

"Yes," he responded.

Giovanni lead the teen back to the arena, but left him behind a sealed door. "I'll open it when the timing is correct, okay?"

"Alright," the boy nodded. "My Pokémon is ready, right?"

"I've made sure he's been well taken care of," Giovanni replied. "He's ready for a good battle."

"I doubt they'll be worth one, but they never were," the youth spat.

Giovanni left the room and returned to the side where Jessie and her crew were. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"As we'll ever be!" the Rockets smiled.

"Wobbuffet!" he chimed in as well.

"Good," he smiled. "And now," Giovanni said as he stepped back into the shadows, "meet your opponent."

The door slowly rose up, illuminating his tattered shoes and dirty pants. His sweatshirt was charred in several places, but his body looked stronger than ever. His hair was still dark and messy, but it also appeared a but greasy, as if it hadn't been washed in a few days.

However, the biggest change the Rockets noticed were in his eyes. Gone were his warm, kind orbs that glared at the Rockets when his best friend was in their clutches. Now they were cold, and dark. His eyes pierced Jessie, James, Meowth and Wobbuffet and filled them with a great fear…

"No…" Jessie swallowed.

"It can't be…" James added.

"It is…" Meowth began to cry.

"It's the twerp!"

"Wobbuffet!"

* * *

**Well, May's alive, but what's wrong with Ash? And what are she and Scott going to talk about? And will this be the final blasting off for our favorite Rocket Gang? You'll have to wait and see!**


	29. That was Then, and This is How!

**Here's Chapter 28! In May's Crush, the main plot thread had already been solved by this point, and here, things are just now getting interesting! I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

"Team Rocket!" Ash cried out from across the field, his eyes burning with anger. "You'll pay! You'll pay dearly for what you've done to May and Pikachu!" 

"We can't beat the twerp!" James fell back in fear, Mime Jr. cowering behind the bluish-purple hair on his head.

"At least he doesn't have Pikachu…" Meowth swallowed hard.

"C-c'mon, you two!" Jessie tried to inspire confidence in them while her own knees chattered. "We can take a single twerp, right?"

Ash raised his right hand into the air and snapped his fingers sharply, causing the Rockets to recoil in fear. The ground in front of the Pallet trainer opened up, and on a raised platform, sat his Charizard. The mighty Pokémon flapped his wings and huffed out a short breath of intense flames, causing the air to get very hot around Jessie, James, and the Pokémon.

"This… could be bad…" James swallowed as he reached for a Pokéball.

* * *

"First and foremost," May sat with Aipom and Pikachu on opposing shoulders, trying to make herself as intimidating as Ash himself would be in this situation, "what have you done with Ash?"

"Zeroth, and preformost," Scott smiled, reaching into his pocket, keeping his cool under this pressure, "here's your bandana back."

Embarrassment flashed brightly over the girl's face as she reached her hand up and took the bandana back from him. She tied it around her head sloppily, wanting to save face and return to questioning.

"And now, first and foremost, I don't have any idea where he is," Scott answered. "I'm not even sure why he was taken."

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" May shouted, quickly losing face to the owner of the Battle Frontier.

"I mean what I mean," he shrugged. "I didn't order anyone to take him anywhere, so your guess is as good as mine."

"But they were your Frontier Brains who took him!" May yelled again. "Why don't you know?"

"May," Scott rubbed his ear, "could you please keep it down? I may wear sunglasses, but I'm not deaf."

May huffed out a "Fine," to the man. "But you better tell me what you know."

"I'll tell you why I don't know," Scott chuckled, "just calm down." The man leaned back in his chair, raising the foot rest as the chair creaked and scratched, due to its old parts and rusted joints. "I run the Battle Frontier, and it was even my idea to create it, but I'm not really the owner."

"What?" May's jaw dropped. "After all this time, you're not even the owner? What happened? If it was your idea, how did you lose control?"

Scott sat up under May's barrage of questions. "Slow down, May, and I'll tell you the entire story," he sighed, motioning for her to calm herself.

* * *

The purple haired Salon Maiden was feeling quite conflicted as she trudged down the halls of the base that 'Evergreen' called Brandon, Ash, and herself to.

On one hand, with May out of the picture for good, and Ash away from everyone he truly trusted, she could spend time with him, helping him cope, and, if she was really lucky, move one with his love life. _After all_, she thought to herself, _he can't keep doting on a dead girl, can he?_

That's when she sighed. _But he is,_ she reminded herself, leaning against a wall. Every night for the past four nights, she has snuck into Ash's room after the trainer had fallen asleep, and each night, she used her powers to read his sleeping mind. She infiltrated the boy's dreams, but could never manifest herself in them. She would either have to be an observer, or take on the 'role' of someone else in those dreams.

However, that girl was always there. Even death could not break the love he felt for that girl (and his Pikachu, but Anabel never really paid attention to him). He would see them in his dreams, and he'd talk to them like they were still alive. That girl would always be so cheerful, and carefree. She would giggle at him, play with his hair, and even wrestle with him.

Anabel watched these dreams with mixed feelings. She almost enjoyed watching them interact, and learned a great deal about how Ash saw this girl. At the same time, watching her shower him with affection tied her stomach up in knots. She was brutally jealous of this girl, who from beyond the grave, still held his heart in her hand.

After watching for a long time, the dream would eventually begin drawing to a close. It was easy for Anabel to tell when. It would be when everything else begins fading away, other than those two. They would be absorbed in each other's features, and then they'd draw closer. The girl would purse her lips and close her eyes.

That's when Anabel would take on a role. She would put herself in that girl's shoes. In that girl's body.

She would feel his warm, loving lips against her own. It was different than when she forced herself on him, those days ago. He was resilient, immobile, and cold. In the dreams, when he kissed the girl, his passion burned forth. She felt the fire in him, his unyielding love for this girl. It awakened something in her, and she wanted to remain like that for as long as she could. But when both of them opened their eyes, Anabel saw the girl's reflection in the apple of his eye, not her own.

Anabel would then stop watching, leave the room, and run down the hall as fast as she could toward her room. She would slip in as quietly as she could, and lock the door behind her. When she was sure she was alone, she would sit down, curl into a ball, and weep.

She did this for the past four nights.

Wiping the budding tears from her eyes, she resumed her jog to the arena on the top floor, where her Boss and Ash were having a battle to test his newfound strength.

* * *

"A few years ago," Scott told his tale to May and all the Pokémon in the room, "I had decided that I would finally pursue my dream."

"And your dream was…?" May interrupted, her finger on her chin.

"You know how there are many exciting battles held during Pokémon League Competitions, right?" Scott asked.

"Yeah," May nodded. "Some of the best battles I've ever seen Ash in were in the Hoenn League."

"Normal battles are hardly as entertaining as those at League Competitions," Scott said. "My dream was to have a place were Pokémon battles on par with those in every Pokémon League would happen daily. A place where the greatest trainers from around the world would gather for the toughest battles any of them would ever have."

"That sounds really awesome," May said. "Anabel told me a bit about it a while ago. She said that you had planned to buy an island in the Hoenn Region, and all the facilities would have been really close to each other."

Scott nodded. "It was to be a Battling Theme Park. However, I ran into a large problem when trying to make my dream come true. It was back when I had six of my seven Brains, and we were still a rather small time operation…"

* * *

"_Where's my paycheck, Scott?" Greta slammed her fists onto the wooden desk in the corner of Scott's tiny home._

"_And mine!" Tucker stepped up behind her. "I didn't take this job to work for free, you know!"_

"_Hey, chill out," A man about Scott's age pushed his gloved hand out in front of the other Brains. Under his large hat sat intelligent eyes, watching Greta and Tucker's every move. "Why does it always come back to money with you three?"_

"_Go back to the junkyard, Mr. Fixit," Greta shouted at him. "I need money if I'm ever going start my Fighting Pokémon Dojo!"_

"_And I need money if I'm ever going to be able to show off my finesse in front of a huge crowd," Tucker said. "Dome Stadiums don't just build themselves."_

_An elderly man sat in the corner. His eyes were squinted and seemed shut as he sipped his tea. "And here I thought that patience was still a virtue," he said._

"_Old timer," Lucy stepped in, "While I disagree with they're methods, they do have a point. You can't run anything in this world without the funds."_

"_Lucy," the man in the large, red hat and lab coat turned to her, "not you, too?"_

"_Noland, you know as well as I do that without the funds, the Battle Frontier will never get off the ground," Lucy responded, her eyes closed._

"_That may be true," the old man responded again, pulling gently on his beard, "but from my estimates, we're close to having the island. After that, we'd just need to take out a few more loans on things, and we can have our Battle Frontier."_

"_How do you figure that, Spenser," Tucker rolled his eyes. "There is no money in the coffers at all."_

"_Well, if we all take out loans, I'm sure we'll be able to fill the coffers to the brim, wouldn't you say?" Spenser smiled, leaning on his staff._

"_You've gotta be joking!" Greta slammed her fists on Scott's desk. "I barely own anything! I'm not going to take out loans on the small stuff I have left!"_

_Scott pulled at his collar, feeling the pressure. "I'm sure a way we can do this without having to resort to loans," he swallowed his fear and hid it behind a chuckle._

"_You better, by Saturday, or I quit!" Tucker turned from the large man in the loud shirt._

"_Same here!" Greta agreed._

_Suddenly, the cracked door slammed shut, and footsteps were heard dashing down the hall._

_Silence hung in the air for a moment. "That was probably young Anabel," Spenser said. He turned to Greta. "You probably scared her with your harsh words, and then she fled when she thought you would see her." He then cracked a smile on his wrinkled face. "She holds you in high regard, you know."_

_A blush creeped over Greta's face. "Sh-shut up, old man," she huffed. Then the blonde girl dashed out of the room, and down the hall in the direction of the footsteps._

* * *

"When they said that, it was Monday," Scott explained to the girl who was completely absorbed into his story. "I had to come up with a way to satisfy them…"

"So how did you do it?" May asked. "How did you convince them to stay?"

"Pika?" Pikachu was also curious, and acted as the mouthpiece for all the Pokémon in the room.

"I was desperate," Scott said. "I was at the end of my rope, and after getting so close, getting so many powerful trainers together, I wasn't about to let my dream slip away… So I made the worst mistake of my life… I contacted a criminal organization, and asked for funding."

"You mean…?" May's eyes widened.

"Pipikachu?" he twitched his ears.

Scott nodded. "I ended up getting an audience with Giovanni, the Boss of Team Rocket."

* * *

_"So let me see if I understand you, Mr. Scott," A man in a large chair sat, petting his long cat Pokémon. "You want my organization to fund this "Battle Frontier" of yours?"_

_ "More of a loan, actually," Scott sat on the his knees on the ground. "I promise that I'd pay you back as soon as I got the money. It's just that no banks will lend me anything to get started on."_

"_That's because this idea of yours is high risk," The Rocket Boss replied, petting his Pokémon. "It's quite likely that I'd never see that money again."_

"_And I understand how your organization works," Scott bowed, quivering behind his sunglasses in the dark room. "I'll do whatever you want if I can't pay up. Just don't hurt the people I've already got to join me in my idea. I've come to you because I have no other options."_

_Giovanni smiled at the large, groveling man.. "I actually like this idea. It could be very beneficial to my organization, Mr. Scott. I'll help you out, but there are a few conditions."_

* * *

"Conditions?" May blinked. "What kind of conditions?"

"The first one was something that I was more willing to do," Scott sighed. "This man's organization would become the owners of the Battle Frontier. I would simply be left in charge of its operation."

"And the second?" May asked, half guessing that there was a second.

"I had to accept one of this man's operatives as one of my Frontier Brains."

* * *

"_Scott, this is Brandon," Giovanni introduced them. "He's one of my field agents, and an expert on ancient Pokémon."_

"_It's a pleasure to meet you, Brandon," Scott held out his hand._

"_The pleasure is all mine," Brandon smiled, keeping his arms crossed._

_Scott held his hand in the air for a moment longer, but then dropped it to his side. "Well, it's nice to have you on board," he forced a smile, not getting a good gut feeling from the green coated archeologist._

"_It's good to be on board," Brandon echoed._

"_Well, yes…" Giovanni interrupted. "In any case, there are other things that need to change about the Battle Frontier."_

"_Such as…?" Scott asked, not liking the direction the conversation was taking._

* * *

"Giovanni told me that he wanted the Battle Frontier located in Kanto, not in Hoenn," Scott explained. "Supposedly so he could keep a better eye on it. But I know now that he's been using my Brains to commit crimes."

"Well, some seemed more willing than others," May noted, Pikachu nodding in agreement.

"He probably tempted them with something they wanted," Scott sighed. "They may be great battlers, but many of them don't have the most sterling characters."

"Tell me about it," May huffed. "Anabel was always getting jealous of me for having Ash."

Scott nodded. "I've noticed all these changes as the years have gone on," he continued. "Tucker was easily the first to 'go bad', as it were. Followed by Lucy, then Greta. Anabel was always one of the good ones, like Noland or Spencer. But after her encounter with Ash, I could tell something had changed."

"What about Brandon?" May asked. "I mean, was he always a bad person, even from the beginning?"

"That's one of the stranger parts," Scott leaned back in his chair. "Brandon never seemed to deviate from his reaserch. He was always looking for those Ancient Pokémon."

"Maybe Brandon isn't a bad guy after all," May remained hopeful. "Maybe he just got roped into Team Rocket like you've been?"

"But the fact remains that he's still a Frontier Brain," Scott reminded her, "and all of the Frontier Brains here in the Sevii Islands are loyal to Giovanni, not me."

May nodded. "And Giovanni's made them do really bad stuff here! Like kidnapping all those people on One Island, hijacking the Pokémon Contest on Four Island, and kidnapping Ash!"

Scott smiled. "I'm aware of what's been going on." He stood up from his chair and beckoned May over to the corner he trodded towards. After getting Skitty and Cyndaquil to move, he blew the dust off of a large piece of electrical equipment.

"What's that?" May asked between coughs.

"This is what I've been using to listen to the communications between the Frontier Brains," Scott said. "It's the same signal I use to contact them using my personal transceiver, but they've blocked my signal. Here, let's listen in and see if anyone's talking."

Scott flipped a thin, metal switch on the box, and it sprung to life. Many tiny, green and red lights lit up across the machine, each dependant on if their particular switch was in the 'on' or 'off' position. Scott unplugged a pair of headphones that was attached to the machine, allowing it to use its built in speakers..

The sound was grainy and slightly distorted by static, but the voices were clear to make out. May and Scott stood in silence as the voices conversed, not knowing they could be heard.

"..so I'm on my way now," Greta's voice played over the machine.

"Good," Lucy responded. "I may need someone to run interference."

"Oh yeah?" Greta replied again. "And just what're you doin'?"

"I've got Brock and his friend helping me look for the Sapphire," the Pike Queen responded.

"Oh, barf," Greta hacked over the connection. "I don't wanna hear about your boyfriend, okay?"

"He's not my boyfriend," Lucy sighed. "But he was very insistent that he help me in anyway that he could. His little friend was more skeptical, but I was able to convince her that we'd be stopping 'big bad Scott and Team Rocket' from getting their hands on them."

"Kids are really easy to trick, huh?" Greta giggled for a moment.

"You're barely older than Ash is," Lucy stated, starting to get annoyed. "On that note, how is he doing?"

"He's fine," Greta huffed as May's face lit up with glee.

"Ash is alive!" May squealed.

"…and Anabel is watching after him since his girlfriend and Pikachu are dead," Greta continued.

May's jubilation was cut short.

"Really?" Lucy gasped. "Are you sure?"

"The Boss's Delibird caught it all on tape," Greta replied. "Those bumblers that follow Ash around shot her boat with a rocket launcher, blowing them to smithereens. They haven't seen any trace of 'em."

"Oh dear…" Lucy whispered. "I better not let Brock hear about that…"

"Isn't he supposed to be looking for the Sapphire, anyway?" Greta asked.

"Well, we're looking through this place called Dotted Hole. The door sealed behind us, and the only things written are in Braille, so we're lost. I think we're making headway, though. I just need you to stand guard."

"And were's Tucker?" Greta asked. "Brandon said that he sent him to you."

"Tucker's following behind us," Lucy whispered quietly, to prevent from being overheard. "But far enough away to not get the attention of Brock or this girl."

"Alright," Greta was getting bored of talking to Lucy. "I'm on my way now. I should be at Dotted Hole in a little bit."

Scott abruptly cut off the machine. "What was that for?" May stomped. "I know they were going to say something else about Ash!"

"We don't have time," Scott said. "We can't let them get that Sapphire."

"Why's it so important?" May asked.

"Do you know about Pokémon Network Machines?" Scott asked.

"Well, a bit…" May frowned. "A man named Celio was working on one when Ash and I arrived on One Island. He sent us to get the Ruby from the Volcano, but Tucker beat us to it."

"Network Machines need huge gemstones to function. The signal is amplified by the vibrations of the gemstones that allow it to connect to other Communications Networks around the world," Scott explained. "I've been listing to this thing since I returned home after meeting the two of you in Pallet. I know that Giovanni wants a Network Machine of his very own, to allow him to tighten his grip on the Sevii Islands. And he already has a Ruby that will work…"

"I..If he gets the Sapphire, what will that mean?" May asked.

"It means that he'll be able to transfer the Pokémon from any other region to right here, and with all the Pokémon an organization like Team Rocket has, we'll never be able to defeat them," Scott responded grimly

"And since they have Ash, that means that if we don't beat them, we'll never get him back!" May jumped into action. "Did you pay attention, everyone?" she asked the Pokémon. "Ash is in trouble, and the only way to save him will be to get that Sapphire before the bad guys do!"

All the Pokémon called out in agreement with May.

Holding one Pokéball between each finger and one in the palm of each hand, she recalled all of the Pokémon except Pikachu into their Pokéballs. Dropping the balls back into her pack, she turned to Pikachu. "Are you ready for this adventure?" she asked.

"Pika pika!" he responded. "Pikachu-kachu pika pika Pikapi pikachu!"

"We better get going, May," Scott said. "We'll need to move fast."

"'We'?" May blinked. "Why do you want to come along?"

"Well, besides the fact that I live here, and know my way around," he smiled, causing May's head to fall to the side in embarrassment, "I feel responsible for getting Ash in this mess, so I want to help as much as I can."

May held her fingers up to her eye in a square shape. "With this new ally, May's Detective Agency continues on the trail of the thieves. Will they be able to stop them from claiming the Sapphire and save May's handsome boyfriend, or will the forces of evil prevail?" she asked a nonexistence audience.

Scott called form outside home. "May, hurry up!"

Flushed with embarrassment, May took off out the door, following Scott down a trail that lead out of town, and towards what appeared to be a canyon.

* * *

**I bet your wondering how Team Rocket is faring against Ash. Well, I was gonna include that in this chapter, but it would have run even longer. I'll definately show what's happening to our favorite Rocket Gang next time! Until then, get Pokémon!**


	30. Goodnight, and Blasting Off!

**I hope your prepared for trouble this week. And make it double if you don't like Team Rocket...since they're featured heavily this time.**

**I'm sorry that I've taken so long to update. I've had this chapter done for about a week. I'll try to make the next update a bit more timely.**

* * *

The flames on the Pokémon's tail were bright and vivid; and his blue eyes cut through the Rockets like a finely sharpened katana. His large, powerful wings could support himself, his trainer, and at least one other person in a speedy flight. The flames he had already expelled from his mouth were enough the cause them all to sweat large, thick drops.

"Team Rocket!" Ash called the gang out of their trance. "Are you going to choose your Pokémon, or am I gonna have Charizard turn you to cinders without a battle?"

"We've gotta do something, Jessie," James held his Pokéball in his hand, motioning his comrades into a huddle.

"We may have a chance if we work together, and attack all at the same time," Jessie nodded. "That means you, too, Meowth."

"What?" Meowth gasped. "Are you nuts? That ting'll fry me to a crisp!"

"If we all lose, we're fired anyway, right?" Jessie rationalized. "We might as well give it our all."

"What about Wobbuffet?" James asked. "If you can counter Charizard's move with the right one, we'll have an easy win!"

"Wobbuffet!" The Pokémon added, wanting to try.

"Okay, I'll use Wobbuffet," Jessie said.

"Then we've got a plan," James said. "Meowth and Cacnea will attack from the sides, and Wobbuffet will counter when Charizard is lead close to him."

"Right," Jessie and Meowth nodded.

James broke the huddle, and faced down the Flame Pokémon. "Go, Cacnea!" he tossed the Pokéball.

"Go, Wobbuffet!" Jessie huffed as she tossed the Pokémon out.

"Go, Meowth!" he shouted as he leapt to the side of Wobbuffet, opposite Cacnea.

"This outta be good," Ash laughed. "You all can have the first move."

"Cacnea, circle around Charizard and use Pin Missile!" James shouted, silently worried for his Cactus Pokémon.

"I-I'll use my Fury Swipes!" Meowth dove towards Charizard, claws extended.

"Charizard," Ash grinned, "push 'em back with Whirlwind."

The mighty Flying Pokémon harshly flapped his wings, blowing Meowth back towards his party. The Scratchcat Pokémon tumbled and landed at Jessie's feet.

"Get back in there, Meowth!" the woman shouted at him, stomping her feet.

Meowth pulled himself upright. "I'm goin'," he said, leaping back towards Charizard.

Meanwhile, Cacnea's arms were fully extended, and sharp needles flew from the ends of her arms towards Charizard. The Fire-Flying type merely held his wings closer to his back, and deflected them by activating his Steel Wing attack. When Meowth leapt closer again, Charizard picked up the Pokémon by his neck and tossed him into Cacnea, causing Meowth to absorb further Pin Missles and knocking both of them to the side.

"Cacnea! Meowth!" James called to them. "Are you alright?"

"I've been betta…" Meowth groaned as Cacnea repeated the same thing in her own way. The Pokémon came to their feet, and saw Charizard heading closer to Wobbuffet. "Jessie!" Meowth shouted. "Charizard's comin' in! Time for Wobbuffet!"

"Right," Jessie gritted her teeth. "Wobbuffet, just hang on and wait for that Charizard to attack."

"Charizard," Ash grinned, "let's give Wobbuffet a trip with Seismic Toss!"

The Pokémon roared in agreement and wrapped his arms around the blobby blue Psychic Pokémon as they took off from the ground.

"Seismic Toss?" Jessie gulped.

"That's right, Team Rocket," Ash grinned fiendishly. "Since Charizard won't be touching Wobbuffet when he crashes into the ground, its Counter is worthless!"

"James! Meowth!" Jessie cried out. "Do something!"

"Cacnea, bat Meowth towards Charizard!" James called out in desperation.

"I'm ready when you are," Meowth nodded to his fellow Rocketeer.

Cacnea nodded with a "Cac," and, with her glowing Needle Arms, smashed Meowth into the sky towards Charizard.

"All I've gotta do is free Wobbo, right?" Meowth spoke to himself, readying his claws again as he flew towards the somersaulting Charizard.

"Charizard, begin your decent!" Ash called out. "And crash into Meowth on the way down!"

"What?!" Meowth's eyes widened as Charizard began a dive right towards him. He held out his claws above his head, but it was to no avail. The heavier and more powerful Flame Pokémon barreled through Meowth, sending him hurtling towards the ground about as fast as Charizard was going with Wobbuffet. His crash shook the entire arena, and shot dust up all around him.

"Meowth?!" Jessie and James both gasped at the same time, their eyes widening. "Meowth!" They began charging the battlefield, racing towards their fallen comrade.

Charizard wasn't finished, however. He used the speed of the fall to hurl Wobbuffet towards Cacnea just as James scooped the Pokémon up in his arms as he and Jessie ran towards Meowth. The Pokémon crashed into the two Rocket Grunts and hurtled the three of them towards where Meowth lay. They crashed around their partner, each of them with a dazed look on their face.

Quickly, Jessie and James struggled to their knees and began picking up their Pokémon. "Cacnea!" James cried weakly, his whole body throbbing with pain.

"Wobbuffet, are you all right?" Jessie asked, her arms tiring.

"Wo… woo… Wobbuffet…" he weakly replied.

"Meowth," both Jessie and James said, pulling the Pokémon up by his arms. "You fought with everything you had for us," Jessie finished.

His eyes half shut, and a crooked grin on his face, Meowth spoke raspily. "What're friends for, you guys?"

The Rockets all threw their arms around each other and began crying. "We tried out best but that twerp's too tough!" they all shouted.

"Wobbuffet!"

"Cacnea!"

Their sad reunion was cut short as Ash's Charizard, still glaring at them, landed a few feet away. He huffed at the piled up team. "Ready to finish 'em off, Charizard?" Ash asked.

Charizard nodded as the Rockets recoiled in fear, their Boss's words echoing through their heads. _"Because if you lose, I never want to see or hear you ever again, as long as you and I remain alive. Failure to remain away from my organization and off its payroll may be fatal. Am I making myself clear?"_

"I guess this is it, guys," James gulped.

"Off tad a big Pokémon Center in da sky!" Meowth sniffed as tears ran down his face.

"It was a good run, boys," Jessie's fearful expression darkened. "You two are the only friend's I've ever had. I hope you two enjoy paradise while I get what I deserve."

"We all deserve the same thing, Jessie!" James took her by the hand.

"We'll never split up!" Meowth added his paw. "Not even death'll split up this group!"

Ash's jaw dropped as he thought about applying Meowth's line to his situation. "Ch-Charizard! Overheat! I never want to see them again!" the boy shouted as he fought back his own tears.

Charizard began forming a ball of white-hot fire in his mouth, as his body began changing colors to a deeper orange. The intense flames fired from his mouth, engulfing the Rockets in less than a second. A huge explosion followed, launching the Rockets into the sky and out the roof. "We're blasting off again!" they shouted, the fire still clinging to their bodies.

Ash fell to his hands and knees, and began to weep. "What have I done?" he began cursing himself. "I just sank to their level! I did something horrible…"

"Don't fret, Ash," Evergreen stepped out from a protected box. "You gave them justice. No one should be allowed to take a life without forfeiting their own. You did the right thing."

"I just…" he choked on his tears. "I just… don't know."

Evergreen turned towards the door to the stadium. "Anabel, I know you're watching, come here."

Blushing bright red, the Salon Maiden scurried over to Evergreen and Ash. "Wh-what is it, sir?" she asked.

"Our Champion is feeling distressed," he said. "Escort him to his room, so that he may rest, and please attend to his every need." _And I know I don't have to ask you to do that,_ he thought, knowing Anabel could hear him.

Anabel's blush deepened as she took Ash by the hand and helped him to his feet. She began leading him like she did a few days ago, leading him to the same location as before.

* * *

May, Pikachu, and Scott continued down the path towards the canyon. May shrugged her shoulders. "I don't even really know where we're going," she said. "Where are we headed again?"

"There's a place on this island called the Dotted Hole," Scott explained. "It's said that it was used for mining sapphires by an ancient civilization. Lucy is already there with Brock and your other friend, and they're trying to claim the Sapphire for Giovanni."

"How do we know there's a Sapphire there?" May asked as they continued down the path.

"Well, I'm not sure," Scott replied. "I just know that if Lucy's source was right, then they've almost got a Sapphire, and we can't let them keep it."

"Alright, I understand now," May nodded. "We may not actually find a Sapphire, but if we do, we have to keep it from the bad guys."

"Right," Scott nodded. "And we're actually almost th-" The large man was cut off by a loud crash that had suddenly happened further ahead on the path.

"What was that?" May gasped.

"I don't know," Scott said, "but we better find out." He then turned to May. "You better lead the way. I don't have any Pokémon, so I'll need you to protect me."

"Right" May nodded.

May and Scott ran ahead on the path, through the thinly wooded area, until they came to where the crash had originated. Dust had been whipped up in this small clearing, along the path to the Dotted Hole. A small hole, made by the impact, was almost directly in the middle of the dirt path.

As May approached the hole, Pikachu jumped from her shoulder and landed a few feet in front of her, sparking and ready to protect his trainer's beloved.

As the dust settled, May heard a loud moaning coming from the shallow hole.

"Is it over?" a male's voice asked.

"I dunno," a woman responded, "but at least we're together."

"Wherever here is," a third, familiar voice responded.

"Wobbuffet," he said, exhausted.

"Cacnea," she also expressed grief.

"Wait a second!" May shouted as the denizens of the hole came into view. "Team Rocket?"

"That term's now somewhat of a misnomer," James sighed, scratching the sore spot on the back of his head.

"It's twerpette!" Jessie gasped.

"Does dat mean we're in heaven?" Meowth's eyes lit up.

"Either that, or she wasn't as innocent with the twerp as we thought," James sighed.

May's face lit bright pink. "It's not like that!" she shouted. "You're not dead!"

"We're… not dead?" they all spoke with disbelief. Their surprise quickly changed to glee. "We survived again!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Cacnea!"

"Dat means dat da twoipette is alive, too!" Meowth's grin widened. "Dat means dat da twoip had no reason to try ta kill us!"

"You all saw Ash?" May asked, her heart skipping a beat.

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Help us out of here, and we'll tell you everything."

May motioned for Pikachu to go back towards Scott, and then reached down, not fully trusting the Rockets. Jessie took her arm, and pulled herself up and out of the hole. James clambered up her long, shapely legs, and Meowth stayed on his back. The trainers then turned and recalled their Pokémon into the Pokéballs.

"There, now talk," May commanded. "What did you mean by 'a misnomer'?"

"You know," James tried to explain. "A misnomer. A mistake in use of a name."

"What do you mean?" May was becoming further confused.

"Da boss gave us da big boot bye after we were beat by yer twerpish boy-toy and his challenging Charizard," Meowth tried to explain. "Our jobs were on da line, but no matta what we did, we couldn't hurt dat Pokémon. We didn't stand a chance…"

"You mean, Ash battled on behalf of your Boss?" May gasped.

Jessie nodded. "He told us he had a challenger. I would have never thought it would have been the twerp. He was very different, as well."

May scooted closer to the woman. "Tell me more! How is Ash doing? Does he look well?"

"That may be a bit of a stretch," James said. "He did look healthy, but the lad looked like he had just survived a hurricane."

May felt a chill run down her spine.

"And dos eyes," Meowth shivered. "Dey gave even Meowth da creeps."

May shivered again.

"Are you alright, twerpette?" Jessie asked.

"We haven't got time!" May stood up, her teeth clenched. "We've got to go find the Sapphire, and stop it from falling into Team Rocket's hands."

"Pikapika!" Pikachu rejoined the girl on her shoulder.

As May tried to walk down the path past them, the former Rockets all threw themselves around her legs. "Please, take us with you!" they cried simultaneously.

"What?" May's eyes widened. "Why do you want to come with me?"

"We've got nowhere else to go!" James cried.

"Since we've been kicked out of Team Rocket for good, we need a new job! Please let us be your flunkies!" Jessie pleaded.

"It doesn't pay very well," Scott tried to dissuade them.

"We don't care!" Meowth wept. "We've gotta make it up to ya somehow, May! We're sorry for splitin' you and Ash up!"

May gasped. "You… you called me 'May'?"

Meowth stopped himself. "I… I did what?"

"You called me by my name," May repeated. "Not 'twerp'."

"Y-yeah?" Meowth swallowed.

"That means… that means you really are sorry!" May smiled.

"I.. I guess I am…" Meowth was surprised with himself. "I really am sorry!"

"We're sorry, too!" Jessie and James pleaded. "Please!"

May smiled. "I couldn't split up such a dynamic trio," she said. "You all are really good at what you do."

"You say that," Jessie sighed, "but we were never able to catch Pikachu…"

"But you all stick together, no matter what!" May tried to motivate them. "It's just like… Ash and me…" she became grim.

Jessie took May by the hands. "These two lovers have become separated by a fiendish plot," she announced to her cohorts. "And as agents of Truth and Love, we have to see them reunited."

"Right!" James and Meowth nodded and smiled.

"Alright, you can come with us," said May. "But no trying to catch Pikachu!"

Meowth hopped onto the May's shoulder, opposite of Pikachu's perch. "I wouldn't dream of it! Pikachu and I are pals!"

Pikachu looked at the Normal-type Pokémon with much confusion.

"And it isn't gonna be an easy trip," May continued. "We're gonna end up fighting nearly every Frontier Brain there is."

"We'll fight them, too, then!" Jessie flared up. "We have to redeem ourselves!"

"We'll stick with you all to the bitter end!" James vowed. "No man left behind!"

"Wobbuffet!" the Pokémon popped out of Jessie's Pokéball in agreement with the blue-haired man.

"Or in dis case," Meowth joked, "No twoip."

As Meowth, Jessie and James began hopping ahead down the path, Scott came in close to May. "Are you sure it's a good idea to bring them along?" he asked.

"As good an idea as any," May shrugged. "I believe them. They've shown they can be good people when they want to. And right now, their heart is in the right place."

"But we should be careful of them," Scott warned. "They might turn on us as quickly as they turned to us."

"I'll keep it in mind," May smiled. She then looked up the path. "Hey, guys!" she called to the former Rockets. "Do you even know where you're going?"

Jessie, James, and Meowth all dashed back to the Pokémon Coordinator and the operator of the Battle Frontier. "I guess we should have asked that, first," Jessie laughed. "Where are we headed?"

May rolled her eyes and began explaining as she allowed Scott to lead the new party of six (seven counting Wobbuffet) towards the Dotted Hole.

* * *

**So May's new party of May, Scott and... Team Rocket is headed to the Dotted Hole to fight the Frontier Brains and claim the Sapphire. Can they make it? And what will become of Ash?**

**Tune in next time, for (more likely) more questions than answers! **


	31. Candidate for an Importaint Lesson!

**It's been a while, hasn't it? Blame DQ for callin' me in at 5 in the morning two days in a row. Here's the next chapter.**

* * *

Like what happened those days ago, Anabel led Ash into the lavish room prepared for him. He stumbled into the room, and fell on his back onto the bed as the Salon Maiden waited near the door. 

"Is there anything I can get you?" Anabel asked.

Ash sighed. "I guess I'm a little hungry," he said after a moment of silence. "Can you get me a-"

"-a cheeseburger?" she said with a giggle. "You always get cheeseburgers, Ash. You're so predictable."

They both had a good laugh, but then the tension rose in the air again.

"Anabel, was it right to do that?" Ash suddenly asked.

"Right to do what?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I attacked Team Rocket while they were defenseless," Ash choked back some tears. "Charizard had already won the battle, but I went ahead anyway…"

Anabel stepped over and sat next to Ash on the bed. "I think it was right, Ash," she whispered. "I think you did what was right."

"How do you figure?" Ash asked, not looking at her.

"What they did to Pikachu was horrible," Anabel whispered. "He was your best friend, and they took him from you permanently."

"What about May?" Ash looked over at her.

"Well, yeah," Anabel blushed twofold (once through embarrassment, and once because Ash's eyes looked at her.) "May, too. I just thought that Pikachu meant more to you than she did."

"Well, you thought wrong," Ash said. "I loved May and Pikachu equally, and I'll never forget either of them."

Anabel rolled her eyes after turning her head away from him. "Are you gonna plan a funeral for 'em or something?" she asked, concern coloring her voice again.

"No. Not right now," Ash said. "Not until I get Scott back. Not until I avenge her."

"I guess this is all gonna be on your mind, then?" she asked.

Ash nodded. "Team Rocket has already gotten what they deserved," he said. He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he reopened them, they were the cold, dark pebbles that had shown themselves when he had unleashed that attack on Team Rocket. "When Scott gets what he deserves, it'll be a mush harsher punishment."

Anabel scooted off the bed quickly, frightened by Ash's expression. "Maybe you should think about it a bit more," she swallowed her fear. "I'm gonna go get that burger."

After the lavender-haired brain scuttled out of the room, Ash was left alone with his thoughts again. He thought about Team Rocket, and what their motive could have been that day.

What had happened could have been an accident, right?

If there was anything he knew after all those years of being chased by them, it was that, deep down, they were really nice people. They would never try to hurt May or Pikachu (Especially Pikachu, since they were always trying to capture him). He never really allowed them a chance to explain themselves. He allowed his hatred for them to take control.

Hatred…

Ash remembered speaking about hatred, once. To a good friend of his…

It was a sunny day in familiar surroundings. His good friend was crying, angry, and upset. He had kneeled down behind her, and tried to comfort her.

It was a strange situation. There was someone who hated her, too. Someone who hated her to her core. When she was about to make the same mistake, Ash stopped her. He grabbed her arm, and whispered something in her ear.

"_Never say you hate anyone."_

He recalled that day very vividly, now.

Ash recalled his feelings when he spoke with Evergreen those days ago. All those days had been consumed by rage, feeding into himself, causing him to become more angry and vengeful.

"What's happening to me?" he asked himself. "What am I doing? This isn't like me at all…"

Ash felt his hands clinch. "But why… why do I still hate Scott? I can't shake it. I can't just forgive him… May…"

Ash closed his eyes again and recalled the last moments of her life. She was with Pikachu, his best friend, searching for Ash himself, and in an instant, their fragile lives were stripped from them. He'd never see her smile again. He'd never hear her voice whispering in his ear again. He'd never feel her warm body leaning upon his again. The warmth of her lips, the taste of her breath… all of it was gone.

"What Scott did was wrong, Ash," Evergreen's voice came from the door.

"Evergreen!" Ash quickly sat up on the bed. "What's up?"

"I was feeling concerned about you, especially with the look on Anabel's face when I passed her in the hall," he said. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Not really…" Ash turned away from him. "I feel confused… are you sure what I did was right?"

"Of course, Ash," Evergreen placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "People who do bad things need to be punished. And someone must carry out their punishment."

"I guess so…" Ash closed his eyes. "But can't we just forgive and forget, and move along?"

"Will you ever forget?" Evergreen asked.

"…No." Ash answered. "No, I won't."

"And how would you feel if someone else was killed because of Scott?" Evergreen questioned him again. "Because you didn't stop him."

"I would feel terrible…" Ash responded. "But…"

"Ash, in this world, you must be strong to protect that which is yours," Evergreen explained. "If not, someone will take it away from you."

"Just like Scott took May and Pikachu…" Ash replied, Evergreen's words taking root.

"That's correct, Ash," Evergreen smiled, although Ash couldn't see. "If you want to prevent this from happening to you or anyone else again, you must take action."

"…you're right, Evergreen." Ash nodded. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"That's fine, Ash," Evergreen smiled. "When Anabel comes back, I have some important news for the two of you."

* * *

"Rubies! Sapphires! Emeralds!" the former Rocket Trio all shouted as they lead the way down the road. 

"Maybe even some Diamonds and Pearls!" Meowth laughed, skipping ahead.

"Actually, just Sapphires," May laughed uneasily, Pikachu clutching the back of her head tightly. "We've gotta stop the bad guys from getting it."

"Right as rain, Madame May," James bowed rather dramatically.

"M-'Madame May'?" May stifled an embarrassed giggle.

Jessie huffed and stepped a bit ahead of Meowth in order to get a better look at what was ahead.

"As much fun as it is hanging out with the peanut gallery," Scott coughed, "we need to get there as soon as possible."

"Well, we can stop needing!" Jessie called from the turn in the path. "We're here!"

May stepped in front of the red-haired woman. She looked across the small grassy field to the small stone structure standing in the middle. It looked like a large rock, but she could see two stone pillars, with what looked like a stone door between them. There seemed to be intricate designs on the door.

Leaning on the door was a familiar blonde girl, who seemed to be nodding off in her extreme boredom.

May's eyes were transfixed on the Arena Tycoon. The last time she had seen her was before Ash had disappeared. The images of Greta's transgressions against Ash flooded May's consciousness.

"_On top of that, Anabel, Greta and Tucker haven't been seen since you and Ash had a battle with the girls," _Brock's words from several days ago quaked through her mind._ "It's likely their in on it, too."_

A red fire seemed to be growing in May's sapphire eyes. Jessie looked over at the Pokémon Coordinator and stepped back as the normally calm May had a glare that would strike fear into even Ash's Sceptile.

Before anyone could ask what was wrong, or ask her to stop and think, May dashed out from between the trees at full speed. Pikachu desperately tried to cling to her shoulder, but his grip slipped and he tumbled into the short grass at the Hoenn native's feet.

Greta scarcely had time to look up before May had tackled her to the ground. The Frontier Brain looked up in surprise to see the girl sitting atop of her, her fist raised in anger and a look on her face that could cut to Greta to the soul.

Greta felt her face turn bright pink as she cringed and screamed at the top of her lungs. "What's goin' on?" the Tycoon panicked.

May only grunted from behind her clinched teeth and slugged Greta in her cheek with her balled-up fist.

Before May could lay her other fist into the girl, Jessie and James quickly pulled her off of Greta, each restraining an arm. "Chill out, headkerchief girl!" Jessie grunted as May tried to pull forward.

"Why did you tackle this blonde Brain to the ground?" James asked, also struggling against her strength.

"You took him from me!" May shouted, an untold rage from within her boiling forth. "Ash! Give back Ash!"

"Pikachu!" the small yellow Pokémon desperately dove between the restrained May and the surprised Greta. He held his arms wide apart, and tried to calm May down.

Greta was still too stunned to speak.

Scott had finally caught up to the scene as Pikachu stood there, trying to calm May down. "What's going on?" he asked.

Meowth, who had been watching this entire scene play out, offered his commentary. "Well, May's mad dat dis kid kidnapped her twoipy boyfriend and wants to clobber her."

"I see…" Scott rubbed his chin.

"Give him back to me!" May continued screaming at the girl. She broke free of Jessie and James' combined grip, leapt over Ash's Pikachu, and tackled Greta again. May pinned the girl in such a way that her arms were trapped under May's legs, leaving the formidable Brain with no way to defend herself. The Pokémon Coordinator brought her right fist into Greta's mouth, splitting her lip, and causing her a small amount of her red blood to end up on May's white glove.

"Wait, stop!" Greta cringed, tasting her own blood.

May brought her left fist into the other side of Greta's mouth, knocking the Brain's face the other direction.

"Please, stop…" Greta began to cry. "I'm sorry…"

May paid her pleas no heed as she brought her right fist into the girl's eye, knocking her head to the opposite side again.

"Please, stop it," Greta started to bawl. "I'm sorry! Stop hurting me! Please!"

May picked up Greta by her collar and pulled her face up. The anger from before was still on the face of Norman's daughter.

May recoiled her fist again, to land another blow on the girl's face, when a voice from her memories called out to her.

"_No," _the calm voice told her._ "Let's not sink to Harley's level. Never say you hate anyone. You never know when they could become your friend. People like Harley hold stupid grudges and never can let them go. That's a lesson he'll never understand."_

May dropped the bleeding girl back down and stood up, a look of great fear replacing her former rage.

She looked down at her hands, and then to the beaten girl who lay in the grass before her.

Caroline's daughter began to hyperventilate. "Oh.. oh what have I done?" she panicked. "What have I done to her?"

The former Rocket Trio caught May as she began stepping backwards. Pikachu leapt to her shoulder and began trying to console her.

"I… I did something terrible…" May continued looking at her hands. "I… I attacked her… I… I don't know what came over me…"

Scott kneeled down and began helping Greta to her feet. "Are you gonna be okay, Greta?" he asked her.

"I will be once this headache is gone…" Greta felt the places on her head where the Coordinator had unloaded on her.

"Greta…" May stepped forward. "I… I don't know what came over me. I'm… I'm sorry for it." Before the Arena Tycoon could get a word in, May bowed sharply close to the ground. "Please, forgive me for what I did," she began to sniffle. "I-I'm sorry," she struggled to get out between her increasing sobs.

The Arena Tycoon stood stunned at this strange girl. She looked into the Pokémon Coordinator's sapphire eyes, and at the clear tears that slid down her face, only to be quickly replaced. An anger for being attacked by May that was beginning to grow had its life force snuffed out as Greta began to feel a warmness in her own stomach. "I can't be mad at a cryin' girl," Greta sighed, against her better judgment. "And I guess I can see why you'd be angry with me."

"No!" May managed to get out between her tears. "What I did was horrible! Being sorry isn't good enough." May lifted herself up and stood in front of Greta. "Please, hit me back."

"What?" Greta blinked.

"I want you to get even with me!" May continued to cry. "I deserve much worse than you could do to me, for acting like that! I can't be sorry enough!"

As May's babble degraded back into harsh sobs, Greta let out a sigh. She stretched her arms out over her head and stepped over to the girl.

May cringed as the Arena Tycoon lowered her arms.

Greta wrapped her arms around May and pulled the girl in tightly. "Shhh…" Greta tried to comfort the distraught girl while her own cheeks began to feel hot. "It's okay. You're fine. You don't have to cry."

May's intense sobbing began to slow down as Greta rubbed her back and continued whispering in her ear.

Eventually, May stopped sobbing and realized what was happening, and quickly pushed herself out of Greta's arms.

The Arena Tycoon stood there, blushing. "W-what?" she asked.

"T-thanks," May stood back, her personal space invaded in a way she never thought another girl would.

"I can see why Ash's so caught up in you," Greta smiled.

"W-why's that?" May shot back, still frightened.

"Well, other than being built better than some other girls," Greta shot her gaze away from the group who gathered before her, "you're really unique. I mean, you went from beating me up to crying over me in less than five seconds!"

May's face flushed with embarrassment. "W-well, I had just remembered something that Ash said…"

"You're heart's really big, May," Greta smiled. "I mean, I wouldn't have said that when you were beatin' on me, but I can see it, now." Greta's eyes darted back to May's. "I also felt your heart beat while you were crying."

"What do you mean, 'my heart is big'?" May was curious.

"You cared for me, even though I've done some pretty rotten stuff to Ash," Greta said. "And look, you've even got those bozos with you!" the Brain pointed to the trio. "They've been harassin' you since day one, and you're letting them come with you."

"Everyone can change," May responded calmly, both hand over her heart. "Everyone can be either good or bad. They just have to choose which one they want to be."

"So, you forgave them?" Greta asked knowingly.

May nodded. "They really want to help me. I trust in them."

James placed his finger on his cheek. "I guess we can all have poets inside of us."

"But some of us don't keep our Meowths shut long enough fa anyting dey say ta be considered poetic," the Scratch Cat Pokémon noted.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Jessie grabbed Meowth and violently shook him, knowing that she was the target of his snide remark.

May, Scott, and Greta all had a nice, healthy laugh at the antics of the three friends. Hearing the laughter, Jessie dropped her angry expression, and burst into a fit of giggling herself. James and Meowth soon followed her.

After the laughing subsided, all eyes returned to Greta. "Are you sure you're alright?" May asked her.

"Heh, this is nothin'," she laughed. "I've gotten worse beatings training with my Pokémon."

"But that doesn't answer an important question," Scott said. "Are you with us or them?"

"What do you mean?" Greta swallowed the saliva in her mouth.

"I mean, are you gonna keep helping Team Rocket, or are you gonna help us set this right?" Scott clarified.

"I thought they were Team Rocket," Greta pointed to Jessie, James, and Meowth.

James sighed. "Another misinformed twerp," he said dejectedly.

"What's da woild comin' to?" Meowth shook his head.

"They apparently've been canned," May said. "They want to help after all the bad stuff that happened."

"I also bet it's because they saw Ash first hand," Greta added offhandedly.

May swallowed, remembering what the Rockets told her about the boy. "…we have to help him," she said.

"I'll help ya, don't worry," Greta said. "You can't lose with me on yer side!"

"I think this one's had one too many knocks on the noggin," James whispered back to his former Rocket teammates.

"Why would you help us?" May asked. "That seems kinda…"

"Look, I have my reasons, okay? Just let me help you split Ash and Anabel up-I mean, save Ash," Greta stumbled verbally, her face turning a hot pink.

"They're together?!" the color drained from May's face.

"No! Wait!" Greta called to her, trying her best not to let the girl faint. "They're not really together! But if we don't stop 'em, they just might, since he thinks you're dead!"

"Well, then we've gotta do something!" May shouted. "We've gotta stop 'em from succeeding with their plan!"

"Which is…?" James drew a blank.

"I'll explain again, for the newcomers," Scott said. "Team Rocket is trying to get their own Network Machine up and running so they can quickly send Pokémon from other regions here. If they get the Sapphire, they'll be able to finish it. What this means for Ash is that he and Anabel will probably be moved out somewhere else, far away from where we could ever reach them again. What that means for the Sevii Islands is that Team Rocket could tighten their grip here, ruining the lifestyles of everyone here."

"I can't let them take Anabel away from me!" Greta panicked.

"And I gotta save Ash, too!" May clinched her fist.

"Pikachu!" he added from May's shoulder.

Scott smiled. "Well, I guess we have a new ally, then," he said. "Now we just have to get inside here."

Jessie and James volunteered to open the door, but despite their best efforts, it wouldn't budge.

"Wait," Greta said. "Take a look at the door."

The six people and two Pokémon all turned to the giant door. There were nine round nubs on the door, set in some sort of pattern.

"What do those mean?" May furrowed her eyebrows in frustration.

"Meowth," Greta called. "Can you cut the door with your claws?"

"What?" Meowth blinked. He looked at the door, then at his small paws. "Well, I could, but my claws wouldn't even scratch it."

"Doesn't matter," Greta said. "Just cut it."

Shrugging, Meowth walked up to the giant metal door. Extending his claws, Meowth drug his paw against the door. A moment passed, and he retracted his claws and let his paw fall to his side.

The ground started to shake, and the door opened up in front of them.

"How did that happen?" James blinked. "What did Meowth do?"

"The message there means "Cut"," Greta explained. "We had to cut the door to cause it to open."

"That's a rather strange device," Jessie muttered. "And how did you read it?"

"Well, this is an ancient ruin, right?" Greta said. "The people that used to use this building long ago used Braille as their language. As for how I knew it, well, I had a friend who taught me a long time ago," she shot a gaze at Scott, who only smiled back.

May didn't catch the subtext. "We've gotta keep moving!" she rallied her new group. "Let's get in there and get that Sapphire from Lucy!"

"Pikachu!"

With refreshed determination, May lead her new party of six into the ruins of the Dotted Hole, knowing full well that one of their most powerful adversaries awaited inside.

* * *

**"insert generic authors comment here"**


	32. We Interrupt Your Story for this excuse!

_Blows dust off of page _

Wow, it's been a while, huh?

We interrupt your regularly scheduled story for the following lengthy author's note.

You may have wondered why I took a few months off from writing, especially with my self-imposed deadline of before Thanksgiving that has come and gone. And I plan on explaining this.

There were several factors. One of the main ones for the initial delay was that I was spending more time with my friends than I had anticipated during the summer. This is known as the "I have a life" excuse. It's a pretty bad one in my opinion, but there it is, in its full glory.

However, that one only attributed to a delay, not a hiatus.

This past semester in college, I took a class in creative writing, with my status as Fanfic Author boosting my ego to unhealthy levels. As I experienced writing from other authors who were much better than my own, I saw that my own writing had some fairly major flaws (although I know this is a surprise for some of you).

One that was pointed out the Original Story that I'm writing (that is, not a fanfiction of anything at all), was that I allow some aspect of the story to overtake the others. In my Original Story, I was told that my genre was taking over (exactly, the fantasy genre was controlling the story, not the characters or other aspects of the narrative).

This relates to this story in one important way. I believe it's become obvious as of the later chapters, but I've put a huge focus on the plot and not enough on character development. It's hard to get why what characters are doing what in a situation like this.

As for what's to blame, there are two things. One is my own incompetence, and the other is that damnable "Once a Week" schedule I put myself on. I now see why few other writers do this. It's bad for quality of the piece.

After this, I decided to go on a semi permanent hiatus. I had felt that I had ruined the story by forcing it along at my pace, and that I had failed you, the reader. But what to do in this situation?

I once considered never updating again and just hoping to fade into obscurity.

However, all the PMs, reviews, and favorites that I keep getting kill that hope.

Another plan of mine was just to spoil the remainder of the story so that you all would know what would have happened if I continued. But for some reason, I could never bring myself to that.

So that brings me to the final option. That is to continue writing the story, obviously. The policy I'm adopting will be "I don't care if it sucks, I'm gonna finish it." What does this mean for you? Other than the same "lack of polish" that I feel has been present since Ash got kidnapped, probably nothing. I won't guarantee the remainder of the story in a set amount of time. We all saw where that ended up. But I will try very hard to finish the story. Thankfully, there's not all that much left, so if I keep making it the rush job I feel like it's been, then it should end sooner than later.

In summery: I stopped writing because I had ruined the story. I wanted to just disappear because of the shame of letting you all down, but you wouldn't have it. So I'm gonna finish it up, even if it takes me another freakin' year.

As for those of you who go to multiple forums, please spread this important word: **For now, I am only updating on FanfictionNet**. The main reason for this is the aforementioned shame that I feel for having abandoned the story and the readers for so long. Perhaps there will come a day that I will return to Serebii or other places, but for now, this is all I'm putting up.

We now return you to your story, already in progress.


	33. Between a Brock and a Hard Place!

**Fun Fact: This was actually written BEFORE the Hiatus! Suprise suprise! As aforementioned, I'm not going to go over and make it any better than it is now, so if this is unacceptable, get used to it. Let's see how much of the story I remember.**

* * *

The Dotted Hole, May discovered, wasn't as much a hole as it was a cavern. A cavern with branching paths.

The cave had blue stones jutting from the ground. Scott advised the group to watch their step after Jessie, James, and Meowth all piled upon each other after a missed step. The large man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small book of matches. He reached into his other pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He struck the match against the book, and lit the paper on fire.

"Was that important?" May asked, trying to examine the paper.

Scott shrugged. "Just a brochure for the Battle Frontier," he said. "Nothing I don't have hundreds of."

"Well, if you two are done talkin'," Greta tried to rush ahead, "why don't we…" Greta stopped talking to get a view of the cave.

May recognized the sight, since she saw something similar inside Mt. Ember. As the fire grew and illuminated the room, the group could see many small sapphires embedded in walls and ceiling of the cave.

May blinked with amazement at the small stones, and how they twinkled, like dark stars in a red sky. May turned to the wall next to her, and saw, jutting out at her, a small sapphire that could fit in the palm of her hand. It was jagged and unrefined, but didn't seem to be very attached to the wall from which it hung. It gave her a warm feeling when she held it in her hand. With a short tug, she pulled the sapphire out of the wall and held it in her hands, looking down at it.

"May, we need to keep moving," Scott said, motioning ahead. "If we don't move fast, they might be able to get the Sapphire and sneak out of here."

May slid the small gemstone into her pack. "R-Right," she nodded.

The Pokémon Coordinator quickly took the lead of the party once again. She rushed headlong down the tunnel amidst the sparkling stones. It wasn't very long, however, before she came to a fork in the path.

"Aw, great," May huffed, "which way do we go now?"

"We could always split up," Jessie offered. "That way we'll be sure to cover every base."

"I don't recommend that," Scott said. "This cave has a mysterious quality. If you go the wrong way, you'll end up at the entrance before too long."

"How do you know?" Jessie turned to him angrily.

"Because I live just up the road," he said, as plan as the expression on his face.

"And besides," Greta added, "We may need all the strength we can get if we're gonna fight anyone down here."

"But then, which way do we go?" May asked again.

"Look there," Scott pointed to the stone wall that separated the cave into its two distinct paths.

May looked closer to the wall. A series of dots sat on the wall, staring back at her. May recognized the pattern as the language that was on the stone door. "It's Braille again, isn't it?" she said.

"That's right," Scott said. "And it should tell us the direction to go."

Greta stepped forward to check it out. "It says we should go left," she noted.

"Are you sure?" May blinked.

"Would I steer you wrong?" Greta smiled.

May's expression changed to an uneasy one.

"I mean, would I steer you wrong with this much on the line?" Greta elaborated. "I mean, with what's going on, I've gotta help, right?"

May smiled. "I'll trust you, Greta," she said. "Lead the way."

"What important news did you have for us?" Anabel asked. The Brain had returned to Ash's room with the food a while ago, and the two had already eaten.

Evergreen kept his announcement for when they were finished. "I have discovered where Scott has been hiding out," he said.

"Really?" Ash sat up. "You've found him?"

Evergreen nodded. "He's been under our noses this whole time, secretly hiding away on Six Island. His house is just outside the town there."

Ash clinched his fists, causing Evergreen to smile. "You want to go there, don't you Ash?"

Ash slowly, almost hesitantly, nodded. "I… He… something's gotta be done."

"There are many things one can do once they've found their enemies' stronghold," Evergreen stated.

"Well, I think it needs to be completely and entirely annihilated," Ash huffed, his eyes shrinking again. Anabel shivered at the sight.

"That can be done," Evergreen smiled in such a way that Anabel shivered again. "Fire is very effective at this…"

"It says right this time," Greta shouted back as she ran ahead of the rest of the group. May easily kept up with her (with Pikachu on her shoulder, no less), as did Jessie and James. Meowth and Scott managed to stay close, but they were at the tail end of the line.

Greta darted down the path that forked to the right and bumped right into something, knocking them both down.

The other figure rolled for a bit, then stopped and groaned. "What in the world just crashed into me…?" whined a voice that boomed through the cavern.

Greta held her head and sat up. "Who was the dummy…?" she grunted, sitting up.

It was only a moment before their eyes met.

"Tucker!"

"Greta, what are you doing here?" Tucker jumped up. "You're supposed to be guarding the entrance!"

"I was, but they," she pointed back at May and the others, "forced me to retreat her until I could get backup."

"Well, they seem to have more numbers than you…" Tucker noted, looking over the party before his eyes settled on the large man in the back. A decidedly repulsive sneer graced the face of the Dome Ace. "And I never expected you to show up, after everything that's gone down."

Scott's normally cheery disposition turned serious. "Tucker, step aside," he ordered his former underling. "We need to get through here."

"And if I refuse to move?" Tucker shot back. "We've got two Frontier Brains here," Tucker smiled at Greta. "All you have is a little girl and some bumblers."

"Greta!" May stepped forward, stomping her toned leg. "What are you doing?"

"She's done fleeing from you, you brat!" Tucker turned to the girl with Pikachu. "And now, I'm positive that we'll be able to stop you where you stand."

Ash's Pikachu leapt from May's shoulder and sparked at Tucker, growling and taking a defensive stance.

"Pikachu," May whispered, "be careful."

"Oh, do you miss your Trainer, Pikachu?" Tucker asked. "Although I'm sure he's getting cozy with Anabel right about now."

May's jaw dropped and the colors in her face retreated again. "N-no! Ash would never-"

"We all have to move on, May," Tucker continued demoralizing her. "Ash has just moved on quicker than we all thought he would."

"You don't even know Ash!" May began to shout at him, her voice echoing through the cavern.

"May, calm down," Scott grabbed her left arm in his large hand. "He's baiting you into battling him, and against both him and Greta, we can't win."

"Says who!?" May's angry, tearful gaze turned back towards Tucker and Greta. "I-I know I can take 'em!"

"And now you're forgetting that you have friends to help you here," Scott continued. "Your anger is clouding your judgment."

"What can I do then?" May whispered back, trying to keep her feelings in check.

"Just wait for them to make the first mistake," he remained serious. "Then you'll have an opening."

"Oh, please," Tucker rolled his eyes at Scott. "I can hear you as clear as day. What makes you think I'll even make a mistake now?"

"Because you've already made one," Scott smirked.

"What?" Tucker, surprised, began to look around small chamber they were in, finally setting his eyes on Greta. "You don't mean…?"

Greta, with lightning quick speed, crouched down and swept her leg around Tucker's feet, knocking the larger man onto his bottom. She then leapt around and wrapped her arms around his neck, putting him in a simple choke-hold.

"Go!" Greta struggled against Tucker as the man began flailing and trying to pull the girl off of him. "The end of the cavern shouldn't be that far from here, and the Sapphire should be there! Just keep going! I'll take care of this clown!"

"Greta, you were really on our side?" May gasped, still trying to grasp the situation that was unfolding before her.

"Of course," she grunted, retightening her grip. "All for the sake of saving Ash and Anabel from Giovanni, right?"

May stopped for a moment before darting forward and calling Jessie, James, Meowth and Scott to follow behind her.

Her blue eyes began sparkling at the huge stone. "Hey, Brock! Lucy! I found it! A big one!"

The tanned Pokémon breeder looked across the dimly lit chamber at Cyndi and the wall she and Happiny had been chipping away at. "Let me see…" Brock got up from where he was ogling Lucy instead of digging to go sit near the young girl. "Hey, Lucy, I think she's right this time!"

"She better be," Lucy sighed. "This place is so tapped out of Sapphires, I was beginning to think that there were none of value left."

"'None of value'?" Brock raised an eyebrow.

"Y-You know what I mean," Lucy stuttered, distracted by Brock's eyes. "I mean one big enough that Team Rocket would want it."

"Oh, right," Brock nodded. He turned back to the wall. "Bonsly," he called his Pokémon out from the ball, "can you help us here?"

In a flash, the short, brown Pokémon was hopping happily before his trainer. "Bonsly-bonsly-bonsly-bonsly!" he giggled.

"Bonsly, just chip away bit by bit at it, okay?" Brock encouraged his Pokémon. The small Rock-Type nodded and began hitting the wall around the Sapphire with the top sphere on his head.

"Great," Lucy smiled to him. "Good thinking, Brock."

"Wait!" a voice familiar in Brock's ears cried out, echoing throughout the cave.

"Okay, I wasn't sure before," Brock said, "but now I know there's someone in this cave besides us."

"What do you mean…?" Lucy swallowed hard, because she recognized the voice as well.

"It means we should prepare for the worst," Brock grimaced to Lucy and Cyndi. "We may have to fight a battle in this small room."

"Why prepare for the worst when you can prepare for trouble?" the leader of the former Rocket Trio called out, leaping gracefully into the room.

"And since we're all here, go ahead and make it double!" the blue-haired, poetic member stepped forward, taking a rose out and holding it in his hands.

"Team Rocket!" Brock stood up and stepped in front of the girls. "What are you two doing here?"

The duo stopped short, shooting short glances about the room. "Oh, right," Jessie blinked. "Sorry, it's a bad habit of ours."

"What is?" Brock glared. "Following us around? We don't even have Pikachu! Why are you here?"

A winded May finally stumbled into the chamber, standing behind Jessie and James. Meowth was at her side, and Scott followed in behind her. "Didn't I say to wait?" May huffed. "Where did you two think you were running off to?"

"May!" Brock shouted, relief in his voice.

"Brock!" May smiled as she ran out from her group out to him. The Pokémon Breeder caught May in a hug. "I'm so glad to see you're alright, Brock…" May smiled.

"It's what us big-brothers do," he smiled back. "Now can you help me take care of Team Rocket?"

May immediately fell back. "Brock, there are some things we've got to talk about."

"What do you mean?" he asked, becoming suspicious.

May stepped back further, behind Jessie and James.

"May, what're you doing? Get away from them!" Brock shouted.

"Twerp," Jessie stepped forward, addressing Brock, "you're on the wrong side."

"Like I'd believe Team Rocket, after everything that's gone on," Brock growled. "You all kidnapped Ash and have been using the Frontier Brains to achieve your own selfish goals."

"Brock, stop! They're not with Team Rocket anymore! They've been fired!" May stepped next to James where Jessie was standing moments before.

"Literally," the trio sighed.

"May, you're on their side, too?" Brock exclaimed. "Why are you helping Team Rocket?"

"Would things be made better if I stepped up?" Scott pushed passed May and James, standing next to Jessie. "Would you believe that I'm not really a criminal mastermind?" he joked to Brock.

"But Lucy said that you were just using the situation to line your own pockets…" Brock said in surprise.

"If I was, then why wouldn't I have Team Rocket just come here and take the Sapphire?" Scott reasoned.

"He's trying to throw you, Brock!" Lucy stepped forward. "Scott's bribed May into joining him, probably even blackmailing her in return for Ash, and she's gone and joined up with Team Rocket! Are you gonna believe her story?"

"Lucy…" Brock swallowed.

"She's da real bad guy!" Meowth leapt up, tired of remaining silent. "She's one of da Frontier Brains workin' for da Bo-, I mean, fa Team Rocket!"

"What Meowth said is true, Brock," May nodded, Pikachu nodding with her. "Lucy has been communicating with Tucker this whole time. We even ran into him on our way in here. She plans on getting you to hand over the Sapphire to the Boss of Team Rocket."

"Lucy, is this true?" Brock turned to her, not wanting to believe. "I thought… I thought you were…"

"I am, Brock…" Lucy turned away. "But, you don't understand…"

"Tell me!" Brock stepped forward and grabbed her hands. "Just tell me the truth, and I'll believe you!"

"Brock, no!" May shouted. "You'd help her, even if it means turning your back on your friends?"

"How do I know you're not the ones being manipulated?" Brock asked her. "You could just as easily be lying."

"What about Ash?" May shouted. "What about saving him? Did Lucy even talk about saving Ash?"

Brock remembered his best friend and long time traveling partner. His face grim, he looked back up to Lucy. "Lucy, is what they're saying true?" Lucy's eyes never met with Brocks as he tried to look into her's. "Are you really helping Team Rocket?"

"B-Brock, it's… it's more…" Lucy struggled to say. "If I don't get this Sapphire back, my reputation will be ruined. Everyone will know 'Queen Lucy' is a criminal, my followers at the Battle Pike will abandon me… it'll be horrible…"

Brock stepped backwards towards May and her party. "So it's all about your reputation?! All about you?!"

"But.. Brock, I do love you!" Lucy's eyes began to water. "I didn't want you to get involved, and when you did, I wanted you to stay on my side… not this…"

"You keep saying 'I', Lucy…" Brock swallowed, repressing his urge to comfort the lady. "Bonsly, Cyndi, Happiny! Get over here and bring the Sapphire!"

Cyndi, while paying attention to the conversation, was helping Bonsly get the Sapphire out of the wall. "Right, Brock!" she shouted, pulling the large stone out of the wall. She began trying to dash across the chamber, but the Sapphire was cumbersome, and caused her to lose her balance. She tripped over Happiny, dropping the Sapphire, causing it to slide across the relatively smooth floor to May's feet. May picked up the large stone with some difficulty and clutched it protectively. "Looks like your luck has run out, Lucy!" May smiled. "We've got the Sapphire now!"

"My luck hasn't run out just yet, May," Lucy smiled. Reaching her hand down, she picked up Cyndi by the back of her denim skirt, completely holding the girl off the ground.

"Hey!" Cyndi struggled against the woman. "Lemme go!"

"If you want you're little friend back, you'd better give me the Sapphire and let me leave," Lucy threatened. "You wouldn't want her to get taken away like Ash was, would you?"

May began clinching her teeth. "I won't hand it over without a fight, Lucy."

"A battle then," she smiled. "If I win, you will accept my terms."

"And if I win," May challenged, "you let Cyndi go and leave here empty handed!"

"Fine. One on one, then," Lucy grinned while reaching for a Pokéball. "Are you ready, little girl?"

"No, May," Brock stepped between the two of them. "I'll face her."

* * *

**Oh, it looks like Brock's gonna battle, huh? Which Pokémon is he gonna use, I wonder. Well, not really. I already know. Now I gotta write the next part...  
**


	34. The Poison Tail of Queen Lucy!

**This took longer than expected, but between writing Custom Christmas, the holidays, working, and returning to college for the first week of classes (as well as playing video games like Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and the original .hack games), I've been busy. But here it is. Enjoy it, or there will be no cake.**

* * *

Brock looked across the cavern at this girl he had rather strong feelings for. Her beautiful black hair went down to her waist, her bright eyes appearing to dance, even in the dimness of the cavern they were currently in. Her curves were in all the right places to arouse interest from the Pokémon Breeder.

But Brock knew that her beauty was hiding a greedy, self absorbed individual.

"Brock, are you sure?" May asked him. "You're gonna fight Lucy?"

"Brock, please…" Lucy whispered. "I… I don't want to fight you…"

"Then don't, and let Cyndi go," he said. "We don't have to fight, but if we are, then I'll have to face you."

"But… I can't lose what… what I have…" Lucy pulled Cyndi close to her.

"Choose what is more important to you, Lucy," Brock calmly told her.

Lucy looked back at the girl she held restrained as Cyndi struggled to free herself. Letting go of the girl for only a second, she shoved Cyndi to the ground and placed her heeled foot onto the girl's back, eliciting gasps from May, Pikachu and Meowth.

"I… I guess you leave me no choice!" Lucy winced, keeping her gaze off Brock. Pulling her Pokéball seemingly out of nowhere, she lobbed the orb into the air, her Seviper appearing in a flash of light.

As May and Scott stepped forward to watch the battle, James grabbed Jessie's forearm, and shook his head.

Jessie frowned for only a moment. "I know this isn't time for my Seviper grudge match… I just wish it was…"

"Bonsly, let's battle," Brock said, his eyes focused on the Fang Snake Pokémon.

The small Bonsai Pokémon hobbled in front of Brock, between him and the Poison-Type. "Bon-slie!"

"Brock, please, I don't want to hurt your baby Pokémon…" Lucy closed her eyes and turned her head away.

"Bonsly, use Fake Tears!" Brock commanded. The Rock Type Pokémon began crying in the middle of the battle. Lucy's Seviper let her jaw drop at the sight.

"Brock, no-"

"Bonsly, use Take Down!"

The Rock-type Pokémon leapt through the air and crashed into Seviper's head. Lucy's Pokémon tumbled across the rock wall, knocking a few stones lose.

"Alright then," she growled. "If you want to do it this way, I have no choice! Seviper, use Poison Tail!"

"Bonsly, dodge and use Take Down!"

The Fang Snake Pokémon slithered across the ground back at Bonsly. She vigorously raked the ground beneath Bonsly with her tail. The baby Pokémon, however, dexterously leapt over the tail, and then leapt up into Seviper's jaw.

"Who knew that a baby Pokémon could put up such a good fight…?" May blinked from behind the battle. Pikachu nodded and agreed.

While Bonsly seemed no worse for the wear, Seviper was getting winded and annoyed at the small Pokémon. "Seviper, close off it's escape with Flamethrower."

"Bonsly," shouted Brock, "get out of the way!"

Seviper began spewing flames from its mouth at the Bonsai Pokémon. Although Bonsly was able to evade the flames, by evading he was being forced towards Seviper, who was aiming the flames just over and behind the stout Rock Pokémon.

"Now, Poison Tail!"

Just when Bonsly hopped into range, Seviper brought her tail around and crashed it into the Pokémon. Bonsly was tossed up into the air, spinning rapidly while crying out.

"Bonsly! Hang on!" his trainer called out.

"Now, grasp that bite-size punk in your fangs, Seviper!" The edges of Lucy's mouth turned up in a grin.

Seviper coiled up before springing into the air, catching Brock's Baby Pokémon between inside her fangs. Bonsly cried out as Seviper began diving mouth first to the ground, intent on crashing Bonsly into the dust.

"Bonsly, use Flail!" Brock called from the side to his small brown Pokémon.

Bonsly began shaking wildly in Seviper's grip. The Fang Snake Pokémon's eyes were knocked around by the force of the shaking, throwing Seviper's trajectory off. Bonsly managed to gain enough leverage so that just before crashing into the ground, he flipped Seviper around and crashed her into the grown instead.

The dust kicked up by the crash settled, and Bonsly stood on top of the sprawled out Poison-Type.

"Bon-slie," he huffed at the face of Seviper.

The cave stood in silence for only a moment before Lucy recalled her Seviper back into its Pokéball.

"Great!" Cyndi said, pushing herself up off the ground before Lucy pushed her back down with her foot.

"No!" Lucy shouted. "You forget that I still have this little ace up my sleeve!"

"Lucy, I don't want to hurt more of your Pokémon," Brock stepped forward. "Please just surrender peacefully."

Lucy ground her heal into Cyndi's back, causing the girl to scream. "No! I won't! I have the hostage! You can't do a thing to me! You give me back the Sapphire or I'll just keep pressing me heel here onto this brat's back until it punctures."

"Lucy, stop!" Brock shouted. "Think about what you're doing!"

Lucy looked away from Brock as she dug her heel into Cyndi's back. Cyndi cried out in pain, and her Happiny began to cry as well.

Jessie tackled through May, knocking the coordinator and Pikachu to the ground and causing her to throw the Sapphire into the air. The woman kept charging into Lucy, knocking her into the cave wall.

As Jessie held the Pike Queen against the wall, James leapt into action and scooped up the Sapphire before it could crash into the ground. "Don't worry," James smiled to the others. "I've got this one."

"What're you doing, you idiot!" Lucy spat into Jessie's face.

"You can steal Pokémon and rare jewels, but picking on a kid is really low!" Jessie spat back just as fiercely.

"Dat's right!" Meowth shouted from behind the group. "Only we're able ta go dat low, and only fer special occasions!"

"Wobbuffet!" he agreed.

"You two could give that gem stone back to the Boss and get back on his good side," Lucy said.

"And what makes you think we want to do that?" Jessie shouted back. "These former members of Team Rocket are under new management!" With that, she dove onto Lucy, pinning her to the ground.

May and Scott quickly stepped over to Cyndi. "Are you alright, Cyndi?"

Cyndi sat up and Happiny quickly hopped into her embrace. Drying her tears on Happiny, she choked out an "I guess so," to her friends.

"James, Meowth!" Jessie called out to them while grappling with the Frontier Brain, "Start digging!"

James tossed the Sapphire to Scott and quickly brandished a shovel seemingly out of nowhere. Meowth quickly did likewise. The two of them dove into the ground behind Lucy, and a flurry of dirt began piling up around the newly formed hole.

Lucy let out a smirk and began lifting Jessie off of her. "Do you really think that you're gonna trap me in a hole?" she grunted as she heaved the former Rocket.

"Hurry up, you two!" Jessie began panicking. "I'm not gonna be able to hold her for much longer!"

"Done!" the digging duo hopped out of the hole.

"But too late!" Lucy shouted. She threw Jessie off of her and onto Wobbuffet. The Rocket crashed into her Pokémon's face, causing him to bend backwards. Just as Wobbuffet started to fall over, his skin began glowing bright red.

"Wo…Wo… Wobbuffet!" he shouted, snapping back upright and flinging Jessie back into her attacker. Lucy was caught completely off guard, and the Rocket crashed headfirst into Lucy, knocking her into the hole dug by James and Meowth.

As Jessie and Lucy began falling into the hole, James and Meowth deftly grabbed for her feet. The former Rocket and Scratch Cat Pokémon grabbed her by the ankles and dug their ankles in, causing Jessie to swing into the side of the hole.

Jessie groaned in pain as Meowth and James scrambled to pull her up.

"Jessie's a lot heavia dan I rememba," Meowth heaved as he pulled.

"Silence!" James cut him off before he said anything else.

Jessie let out a scream. "She's pulling back, you two! She's got me by my beautiful hair!"

Turning to Scott, May asked him, "What can we do?"

Scott turned back to her. "You're the leader of this group, May. You have to come up with something."

Thinking quickly, May reached into her pack and pulled out one of Ash's Pokéballs. "I hope this is the right one…" she winced as she lobbed it into the air. "Totodile, use Water Gun!"

The blue and red Lure Ball spun in the air and opened up, and in a flash of light, Ash's Totodile appeared and spun around in the air. Taking in a deep breath, he spewed out water from his mouth into the hole dug by Team Rocket. The water drenched the back of Lucy and splashed in the face of Jessie.

Lucy grunted as he hands began slipping on Jessie's now wet hair. She began trying to grasp some of it tightly, but she continued to slip up as James and Meowth pulled her sharply out. Lucy's grip failed her, and she fell backwards into the puddle of water forming at the bottom of the hole. Jessie was quickly pulled up and into James and Meowth, causing the trio to tumble across the cave floor.

Lucy shook off her daze and stood up. She began reaching for the edge of the hole, but her view was quickly darkened as the former members of Team Rocket threw a metal lid over the hole.

May gawked at them for only a moment. "What are you three doing?!" she shouted.

"Loinin' from past mistakes?" Meowth offered as an explination.

"If we put a lid on her, she'll keep her lid just," replied Jessie, whose wet hair hadn't yet return to its original shape.

"Just a few more bolts in there and…" James began turning his wrench.

Suddenly, the lid was blown off by a strong gust of wind, knocking Jessie, James, and Meowth back into the cave wall.

May stepped forward in front of the group. Pikachu ran around her and stood between her and the hole in the ground, his cheeks sparking.

Rising out of the hole was Lucy. She stood atop her pale color Milotic with a look on her face that could paralyze as well as any attack. Milotic was emptying water from her mouth into the hole, causing her and her trainer to rise.

"It will not end this way!" Lucy shouted. "I won't let it!" Milotic smashed the ground in front of her with Iron Tail, miming her trainer's rage. Lucy hopped off her Pokémon. "Milotic, use Twister on the lot of them!"

Milotic raised her fan-like tail, and another gust of wind shot out. The wind blew straight for May, but Pikachu leapt up as quick as he could and took the attack.

"Pikachu!" May called for him. "Are you alright?"

Pikachu let out a low growl as he skid across the ground on all four feet. His cheeks sparked and he leapt forward again.

Lucy smirked. "I never though that I'd have to fight that Pikachu again. It's a shame his talented trainer isn't here." At that, May clinched her teeth. "Milotic, use Hydro Pump on Pikachu!"

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" May shouted.

Pikachu waited for Milotic to move first. The Water-Type opened her mouth and let out a jet of pressurized water. Pikachu deftly jumped over it, and ran as quickly as he could on top of the Hydro Pump. He slammed his body into Milotic's face.

"Now, Thunderbolt!" May continued her attack.

"Smack him away with Iron Tail!" Lucy countered.

With his face next to Milotic's, Pikachu began sparking his cheeks in preparation to attack. Milotic swung her tail down, snapping Pikachu into the soggy ground next to her. Pikachu discharged his electricity, but the Iron Tail protected Milotic from the attack.

"More pressure, Milotic! Finish off that Pokémon for good!" Lucy snarled.

"Pikachu, push back with your Iron Tail!" May called in desperation.

Pikachu's tail began to glow as struggled against Milotic's tail. Milotic pressed down even harder, and slammed Pikachu into the ground again.

"Do it!" Lucy shouted.

"Pikachu! Do something!" May cried.

As Pikachu's tail returned to its original shade, it began sparking. Pikachu lowered his tail to the ground and shot a lightning bolt into the ground. The force of the lightning's impact shattered the ground, and the current fled into Milotic and Lucy. Pikachu groaned with all of his force as he unleashed every bit of energy he had pent up.

The water beneath Milotic exploded, launching her and Lucy through the roof of the cave and into the air. They began shouting something, but over the sudden trembling of the cave, no one could hear it.

May quickly ran up to the tired Pikachu and scooped him up in her arms. "Pikachu, are you alright?"

Brock grabbed May by the arm. "May, we've gotta get out of here. Scott and Cyndi have already started running towards the entrance."

May nodded and began running with Brock through the cave, carrying an exhausted Pikachu in her arms. "You've still got some things that could help Pikachu feel better, right Brock?" she asked him.

"We haven't been apart that long, May," he said. "Of course I do. Let's focus on getting out of here first."

May and Brock kept running out, into progressively larger tunnels as they neared the entrance. The quaking cavern continued to collapse around them as they ran.

"There's the exit!" May shouted in relief as a pale light came into view.

Just before she and Brock could reach it, the exit collapsed before their eyes.

"Oh no!" the coordinator cried out, "now what're we gonna do?"

The rocks before their eyes suddenly shattered, and a tall Pokémon with a red head stood before them.

"C'mon!" Greta shouted. "Get outta there!"

May and Brock quickly jumped through the hole made by Greta's Medicham. Just behind them, the remains of the Dotted Hole collapsed behind them.

The group stood in the moonlight for only a moment as Brock used a potion from his bag on Pikachu, whom May sat on the ground.. The mouse Pokémon shook as the spray-medicine was applied, but soon returned to his cheery self. May invited Pikachu back onto her shoulder.

"Well, so much for the Dotted Hole," Scott said, looking at the pile of rubble. "Such a shame."

"At least we have the Sapphire," Jessie said, as she, James, and Meowth stepped out of the bushes.

"You guys!" May smiled. "How did you get out of there?"

Meowth shrugged. "Your guess is as good as ours. The writer didn't mention it."

Greta ignored Meowth's comment. "Now we have to hide it somewhere so we can protect it."

"Since my house is nearby," Scott volunteered, "we can hide it there for tonight before moving it someplace even safer tomorrow."

The group agreed with Scott's reasoning and began heading back towards Scott's house, which stood on the outskirts of the town. While they walked back, May caught Brock up on the situation. She told him about how Ash had been forced to battle Team Rocket using his Charizard. She recalled that since Jessie, James, and Meowth were defeated, their Boss didn't want them in Team Rocket anymore. Scott interrupted and told Brock about the use of the large Sapphire they had recovered; that Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket needed it to complete a Network Machine that would allow him to strengthen his hold on the Sevii Islands.

Pikachu's nose perked up as they walked through the forest. He turned to Meowth. "Pika, pika pikachu?"

Meowth raised an eyebrow and sniffed the air. "Hey, yer right. I smell dat, too."

Pikachu leapt from May's shoulder and dashed ahead through the forest, with Meowth following close behind.

"Pikachu, wait up!" May called, with Brock and Scott close behind.

"Meowth! What did you smell?" Jessie and James shouted as they ran behind.

Pikachu and Meowth stopped with their mouths agape as they climbed over the hill as they stared at the orange glow. When May saw it, she covered her mouth.

A building in the distance was aflame.

Scott huffed over the ridge and caught sight of the blaze. "Oh no, that's my house!"

"Let's hurry!" Brock said.

May, Pikachu, Meowth, Brock, Greta, and Scott dashed off just as Jessie and James arrived. "Where's the fire, you twerps?" Jessie moaned as she continued following them.

"Just a small break, please!" James whined as he tagged behind Jessie.

It was only a small run before three figures came into view. The largest looked to be a Pokémon, large and reptilian. His gaze was on the fire that burned before him.

May ran up a bit further, just behind Pikachu and Meowth. More details came into view. A small flame flicked at the end of the tail of the Pokémon.

The smaller of the two remaining figures seemed to be leaning towards the one who stood in the middle, but didn't make physical contact. The light from the fire still obscured the figure in the middle.

As May and her party drew ever closer, the large Pokémon turned his head to look at them. The middle figure looked up at the Pokémon, then turned his gaze into the night towards the Pokémon Coordinator.

May gasped at what she saw.

His clothes where tattered and torn, a large gash in front of his sweatshirt, allowing May to see the black shirt he wore underneath. His hair was greasy and even more unkempt than usual. His pant legs were torn at varying intervals and both knees were blown out. His backpack was also missing, as was the normally warm look on his face. His eyes were sharp and cold, piercing May's heart like arrowheads.

But she recognized him. She'd never forget him.

With tears of joy in her eyes, she began dashing ahead of Pikachu and Meowth, straight towards Ash Ketchum.

* * *

**It's a bit shorter than previous ones, but I ended exactly where I wanted to, so there. I'm still not in a position to drop this on Serebii, but maybe in a few days if you all wanna read this in "classic Serebii Green". Let's just hope it's not another month before the next one.**


	35. From Hero to Zero!

**This chapter took way too long to finish. And it was nearly finished for several weeks! But I got caught under a chance avalanche of homework, so it got delayed. I hope this rewards you for your patience.**

**This is a fairly long chapter, with lots of stuff happening. I personally recommend taking notes of some kind of stuff that sticks out to you as it progresses, so when you formulate your review, you can be sure to cover each and everything you want to.**

* * *

It was him. It was him. 

After all this time. After all this worry. After everything she'd heard. Here he was.

Even the roaring flame behind him couldn't deter her.

May threw her arms around the boy. "Ash! It's you! It's really you! I'm so happy!"

Ash remained still and silent, only looking down at the green bandana that snuggled against his chest.

"Pikapi!" shouted his joyous Pokémon as he leapt from the ground to his partner's right shoulder. Pikachu quickly began nuzzling Ash's cheek with his own.

Ash let out a gasp.

Anabel, who stood to his side, only remained silent.

May looked up. "Ash? You're happy to see me, right? Ash?"

The look on Ash's face was one of fear. "No…" he whispered. "I can't be seeing this. You're not here. You're dead. Both of you."

"We survived, Ash," May smiled back. "We were saved. And we've come back to you."

"Pikachu," he added, grasping Ash's head from behind for the first time in a while.

"Ha…" Ash squeaked. "Haha…" It wasn't long before he exploded into a rolling laugh. He pulled Pikachu off his head and squeezed both May and the Pokémon tightly in the embrace. His exaggerated laughter quickly turned into tears. "Pikachu! May! You're both alive! I'm-I'm so happy!"

May smiled as she looked up at Ash's smiling, weeping face. Ash looked back at her, but then something caught his eye above her head. Something that caused his eyes to revert to their cold look.

The Pokémon Coordinator turned her head, and saw that Brock, Cyndi, Scott, Jessie, James, Meowth, and Greta had all arrived.

Defensively pushing May and Pikachu behind him, Ash stepped forward. "You!" he roared in a most un-Ash like tone. "What are you doing here?!"

All three former members of Team Rocket leapt all over each other, screaming in fear. Even May and Pikachu were taken back.

"Pikapi…" he whispered.

"Ash," Brock stepped forward. "Just settle down, everything can be explained with time."

"Brock, get away from them!" Ash called out to the breeder. "You can't let them get too close! They might try to hurt you, too!"

"Ash, you're making a mistake," Brock said, stepping between him and the group that gathered around Scott.

"Step aside, Brock," Ash warned. "I don't want you to get caught up in this attack…"

"May, tell him," Brock called to her. "Tell him that he's doing the wrong thing."

May remained as silent as Anabel had been since the coordinator appeared.

But Anabel remained silent no longer. "Ash, those are the people who tried to take everything away from you! They almost did, but only by a lucky break were you more fortunate. You have to stop them before they take everything you care about away!"

"Charizard, get ready to use Flamethrower," Ash told his Pokémon. "On all of them, if Brock doesn't want to move."

Cyndi let out a gasp of fright as Greta stepped forward. "Oish! No way! You don't have the guts!"

Anabel was shocked. "Greta, you turncoat! You've joined them, too?"

"Like you gave me a choice," the Arena Tycoon grumbled.

"What did you say?" Anabel shouted, not hearing Greta's words.

"Last chance, Brock," Ash warned. "I'm taking them out. I don't want you to be hurt, too."

"Ash, think about what you're doing!" Brock beseeched him. "You're going to order your Pokémon to attack people who aren't defending themselves."

"I'm surprised, Brock," Ash glared. "You'd really take the side of that murderer and thief over your friend?"

"Ash, you don't know the truth!" Scott shouted. "May, tell him! Tell him to stop this madness!"

Ash shot at look back at May, who stood petrified before the blazing building. "Enough of this. May's here because she was fleeing from you. That's what's really goin' on. Charizard, use Flamethrower. Don't miss a one."

"Pikachu," May shouted, tossing him into the air, "Use Thunderbolt on Charizard!"

"Pika-Chuuu!" He shouted, letting the electricity arc from his body into Charizard's body, just as the Flame Pokémon was preparing to launch his flames at those who stood before him. The strike hit Charizard unexpectedly, and knocked the Flying-Type Pokémon to his forequarters in one shot.

Ash turned around in shock, his eyes narrow as he glared to them. "May! Pikachu! What did you just do?!"

May and Pikachu ran between Brock and Charizard. "I can't stand here any longer and listen to this!" May shouted, her arms spread apart. She sighed, and let her arms fall to her side. "What… what happened, Ash? What happened to you over the course of these few days?"

"What happened?" Ash responded with rage. "What happened?! I saw everything I've ever worked for die right before me! I trained with Charizard. I trained with the only one I had left! I did it to avenge Pikachu! To avenge you!"

"Has that been what's been driving you these days? Revenge?" May shouted back. "There's no need for revenge, Ash! Everything's fine!"

"Everything isn't fine," Anabel leapt into the argument. "Those Rockets behind you are trying to steal that gemstone! You're just going to help them get away!"

"We were fired!" Jessie, James, and Meowth all shouted in unison before sulking.

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime, mime!"

"But what about Scott?" Ash shouted. "He tried to get you killed! He almost succeeded!"

"That was Giovanni, the Boss of Team Rocket's doing!" Brock shouted. "When Team Rocket attacked them, they were trying to steal Pikachu. They were fired after you defeated them using Charizard!"

"After-?" Ash gasped.

"Don't listen, Ash!" Anabel grabbed his shoulder. "They're trying to trick you! Remember, everyone has to be punished for what they've done! What if someone else dies because of your inaction?"

"So that's it…" Ash turned his cold gaze at May and her group. "You're all turning against me. Scott's tricked you all, and now I have to make you see the truth."

"Ash, what's wrong with you?" Cyndi shouted, her throat clogged with sobbing. "You've never been like this? Why are you trying to attack us?"

Before Ash could respond, Anabel stepped up. "Look, only Scott needs to suffer. If the rest of you leave, you'll be spared."

"Is that why my house is ablaze?" Scott asked. "Were you trying to get me when I wouldn't be expecting it?"

"May, Brock, Cyndi," Ash addressed them as calmly as he could manage. "I don't want to hurt you. Please, step aside."

Coddling her Happiny, Cyndi stepped up next to Brock. "Ash, please think about this…"

"I have," he replied. "I've thought it through for the past four days." He turned his gaze to Scott. "I've thought about how all of this is your fault, and how you have to pay for what you've done."

"Why?" May asked him. "Why do you have to do this?"

"It's just like Anabel said," Ash replied to her calmly. "He almost took you and Pikachu away from me. In a way I'd never be able to get you back. He's gotta pay for that."

May furrowed her eyebrows like she often does. "Shouldn't you be angry with Team Rocket? I mean, they're the ones who attacked me."

Jessie, James and Meowth all fell to their knees. "Please don't give him any ideas!" they pleaded. "We've been through it once already!"

"Wobbu-Wobbuffet!"

"Mimemime mime!"

"I already gave them their reward," Ash answered. "I gotta give the brains behind the thing his reward, too."

"Hey!" Greta spoke up. "If it's Team Rocket you wanna thrash, you should turn right around and go fight that Boss of yours. He's the real Rocket!"

"Like you'd tell the truth to anyone," Anabel huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Anabel…" Greta whispered, her gusto evaporating.

"Hey, I thought you two were friends!" May shouted at Anabel.

"We were friends, May," the Salon Maiden responded, "just like we could have been friends. But you had to go and butt in too far, just like she has."

"I can't help it," Greta whined to herself.

"I have every right to butt in!" May shouted, her anger rising. "That's my boyfriend! This is my business!"

"If he's your boyfriend, then why are you trying to stop him?" Anabel spat. "Shouldn't you be supporting him like a good girlfriend?"

"You're just jealous that he is my boyfriend!" May shouted, knocking Pikachu out of the way as she stomped up to her.

"I can't help it that I love him!" Anabel shouted in response.

The entire group all fell silent. Only the sound of crackling flames could be heard.

Ash looked up in surprise.

May's mouth fell open.

Greta looked like she was going to get sick.

Anabel stepped over to Ash. "I-it's true…" she said, her face flushing. "I… I love you, Ash."

"I get it, now." Ash turned to her and glared. "I understand fully."

Anabel swallowed. "W-what do you understand?"

Ash kneeled next to Charizard. "Are you okay, Charizard?" he asked.

Charizard extended his wings and stood up, letting out a roar.

"Pikapi!" the mouse Pokémon called to his trainer.

"Ash, what're you doing?" May asked, stepping forward.

He turned to her, his eyes still sharp. "I need to go talk to Evergreen myself."

"Evergreen…" May repeated softly.

"He's the one who helped me train," Ash explained as he began climbing onto Charizard's back. "I have to go ask him about all of this."

"About what, Ash?" May ran up to him and grabbed his hand. "What do you have to ask him about?"

"He didn't know you were alive. He was so sure, but now I'm not so sure about him. So I'm going to go ask him myself."

"Ash, that's dangerous!" May jumped. "Let me come with you!"

Ash shook his head. "If he's as dangerous as you all are sayin', then you need to stay here so you don't get hurt."

"Pikapi?" he looked up to the boy.

"You, too, Pikachu. Look after May."

May clinched her teeth, trying to think of a way to convince him otherwise. "B-But won't you need some sort of backup? At least the rest of your Pokémon!" May pulled his leg.

"Do you have them?" he asked, eyes widening.

May reached into her pack and pulled out the six Pokéballs belonging to Ash. "There. Totodile, Cyndaquil, Muk, Sceptile, Aipom, and Charizard's Pokéball," she listed them as she dropped the shrunken balls into his hand. "Please be careful, Ash," she said in a hushed tone. "Don't do anything too crazy."

He smiled at her, though it was more arrogant that it used to be. "Don't worry, May. I'll be okay as long as I have Charizard and my other Pokémon."

Anabel ran up to Ash's side. "Ash, take me with you! I can help! I know stuff about Evergreen that you don't."

"I know enough for now," Ash spat back at her. "I'm leaving. I'll be back by morning, at latest." He ceased addressing the people and turned his mouth to Charizard. "Let's go. Back to the Battle Fortress."

Flapping his great wings, Ash's Charizard took off from the blazing house and began flying away into the inky dark sky.

Anabel chased after him as he quickly disappeared. "No! Ash, please! Please! Take me with you!" She ran only a short distance before Ash completely disappeared into the night sky, at which she fell to her hands and knees. "Please… she whispered."

Greta stepped away from the crowd and kneeled down next to her. "Anabel, are you alright?" she asked the lavender haired maiden.

"He left me…" she replied, her gaze stuck on the ground. "He left me…"

"It'll be okay," the blonde tried an encouraging smile. She began rubbing the other girl's back in an attempt to console her. "I'm here. I'll be here for you."

Anabel raised an arm up and shoved Greta away. The Salon Maiden stood up and turned back to face May.

The Pokémon Coordinator wasn't sure if it was the building blazing behind her or if the anger in the heart of the Frontier Brain was the cause of the deranged look on her face. "You! It's all your fault! If you had stayed dead, Ash would have stayed with me! We could've been happy!"

"Anabel, what are you…?" May stepped back.

"I hate you! I hate you so much!" she screamed. "I wish I could hate you back into that grave you crawled out of!" She reached at her side and yanked out a Pokéball. "Alakazam, let's go!"

She flung the ball at the ground, and in a brilliant flash of light, her Psi Pokémon stood ready. "Blast them! Use Psybeam!"

May had to react quickly. She reached into her pack and tossed out a Pokémon of her own. "Beautifly, block with Psychic!"

Alakazam crossed the spoons he held in his hands and launched a beam that rapidly changed colors as it flew closer to May. The young Coordinator's Pokéball snapped open, and May's Beautifly quickly took to wing. The small butterfly Pokémon began emitting a blue glow, and deflected the rainbow beam into the inferno of Scott's house.

The owner of the Battle Frontier groaned. "It's already a pile of ash… you don't have to destroy it further."

Anabel paid him no mind. "I'll crush you! I'll crush you like you crushed my hopes of a future with the man I love!"

"Beautifly, she's lost it! We better be careful!" May called to her Pokémon.

"Alakazam, swat that bug with Psychic!" Anabel called out.

Alakazam's eyes and body began emitting a blue glow similar to the one Beautifly has emitted earlier. Beautifly cried out in pain as Alakazam's mental power began pulling her apart.

"Beautifly, can you move at all?" May called to her Bug-Flying Pokémon.

Beautifly responded by moving her long mouth up and down.

"Great! Use String Shot on Alakazam to bind its arms together!" May ordered.

Beautifly aimed her mouth towards the yellow Pokémon and shot a long, thin string at Alakazam's crossed arms. The string snapped around Alakazam's hands, binding them tightly together.

"Alakazam?!" Anabel shouted. "Can you move your arms?"

Brock snapped his fingers. "That's it!"

Cyndi looked up to him. "What's it?"

"Alakazam may be a powerful Pokémon, but most of that power is from its mind," Brock explained. "Alakazam's muscles are so weak, it has to use its psychic power to even move around!"

"Alakazam!" Anabel cried to her Pokémon. "Try to break it with your Psychic power!"

"Beautifly, while he's open, use Silver Wind!" May shouted.

Alakazam's arms began glowing a deep blue as the strings Beautifly planted began to tear, while from above, Beautifly hovered in and began flapping her wings as rapidly as possible. Scales from her beautiful wings flew into the gusts of wind she created with each flap. The scale-colored wind slammed into Alakazam, knocking the Psi Pokémon onto his back, with hands free.

"Alakazam, to your feet!" she shouted.

"Beautifly, use Tackle!" May ordered.

Just as Alakazam began climbing to his feet, Beautifly crashed into his chest at a high speed. The smaller Pokémon rebounded off of his body and flew mere feet above him.

"Alakazam, toss that bug into the fire with Psychic!" Anabel called.

"Beautifly, try a Gust attack!" May countered.

Beautifly floated up higher and attempted flapping her wings for the Gust. However, a blue glow overcame her body and caused her to stiffen. The butterfly Pokémon cried out in pain as the attack took hold.

"No, Beautifly!" May shouted to her.

"Toss her! Now!" Anabel commanded.

Alakazam focused his mind and with a wave of one of the spoons he held, flung Beautifly backwards into the still cracking remains of Scott's home.

"Beautifly!" May cried as her Pokémon disappeared into the flames.

"Alakazam, Recover!" Anabel told him. "And get ready for round two."

_Recover? That's it!_ May gasped.

She turned to the burning house. "Beautifly, Morning Sun!"

A small, burning Pokémon floated out of the flames of the burning building. The butterfly Pokémon spread her wings wide, shaking the flames from her body. Her brightly colored wings began glowing over the flames, with the glory of a sunrise.

"Augh, it's not finished yet?" Anabel clenched her teeth.

"Beautifly, use String Shot on Alakazam!" May called.

"That's not gonna work again!" Anabel laughed.

Beautifly fired another sticky thread from her mouth. The thread adhered to Alakazam's left leg, but didn't seem to hinder the Pokémon in the slightest.

"Ha! So much for that!" Anabel mocked May. "Alakazam, shoot that Bug down with Psybeam!"

"Beautifly, try to dodge it, but hold on to the string!" May shouted.

Alakazam crossed his arms again and fired a beam of light at Beautifly. The Bug-Flying Pokémon dodged to the side, nimbly dodging the beam.

"Fire again! Keep shooting!" Anabel ordered.

Alakazam fired two more beams at May's Pokémon. Beautifly was able to fly above one, but she was smacked right in the face by the other, knocking her down a few feet. She desperately clung to the string she held in her mouth.

"Beautifly, hang on!" May called. "Balance yourself!"

Beautifly flipped herself forward so she was facing her foe again.

"Great! Now yank on that string!" May commanded.

"Wha-?" Anabel gasped.

Beautifly began retracting the String Shot, yanking Alakazam off balance and dragging him a few yards through the grass.

"Alakazam, stand up!" Anabel cried.

"Beautifly, get in close and give Alakazam a Silver Wind he won't soon forget!"

As she retracted the string, Beautifly began diving forward. She stopped just short of ramming into Alakazam and hovered in the air before him only long enough for a look of dread to overcome the Psi Pokémon. Beautifly flapped her wings as fast as her body could manage. The scale-filled gust blasted Alakazam right in the face, and enveloped both Pokémon in a dazzling, silver light.

Beautifly floated backwards from her foe and hovered in the air above May.

Alakazam only writhed on the ground in pain.

"Ka… zam…" he managed to grunt as he lost consciousness.

"If you think this is over, little girl," Anabel shouted, "you're sadly mistaken!" She pulled her Pokéball up and shot a red beam of light at Alakazam, sending the Pokémon back into his ball to rest. Just as quickly as she put Alakazam away, she brandished another Pokéball and tossed it up. "Metagross, you're up!" The Pokéball snapped open, and Anabel's huge Iron Leg Pokémon appeared.

"Beautifly, Return!" May quickly raised her Pokéball up and brought her butterfly Pokémon back into her Pokéball.

"Pikapika!" Ash's Pokémon stepped forward and sparked, ready to replace Beautifly for May.

"No, Pikachu, I can handle this," May said, stepping in front of the Electric Pokémon. "This is my battle."

"Pika?" he looked up at May, confused. "Pikaka…"

"I've got to do this myself," May nodded. "If anyone else helps me defeat her, it won't mean a thing. I have to teach her something with the battle. I have to show her what I learned from this."

"Pikaka…"

"Blaziken, I choose you!" May tossed her starter's Pokéball into the air. The Blaze Pokémon materialized before her trainer, and immediately took a fighting pose.

"So, a rematch from the Contest, huh?" Anabel smirked. "You won't have that Charizard to protect you this time."

May smirked back. "Yeah, but you don't have back up, either."

"What did you mean," Anabel asked, "that 'you have something to teach me'?"

"You can't hate anyone, Anabel," May replied. "Not me, not Greta, not anyone. Ash taught me that. Anyone can become your friend."

"That's such naïve talk, I'm getting sick," Anabel retorted. "Let's hurry up and get this round going!"

"Blaziken, use Blaze Kick!" May ordered.

May's Fighting-Type Pokémon began dashing quickly at her opponent and leapt close to the ground. She flipped and extended her talon outward as it burst into flame.

"Metagross, Iron Defense!" Anabel countered.

Metagross' body shimmered as it exuded light for just a moment. The talon came crashing down into Metagross' head, but the Steel-Type Pokémon seemed unaffected.

"No way!" May shouted.

_Now, Meteor Mash!_ Anabel communicated with her Pokémon telepathically.

Metagross brought its leg up and smashed Blaziken in the side with the force of a comet. Blaziken did her best to block the attack with her arms, but the force of the attack was so great that she ended up tumbling across the ground before coming back to her feet.

"She's using her telepathy to talk to Metagross!" Cyndi shouted. "Watch out, May!"

"Happi, Happi!" the small Pokémon also cried out.

"That's what I want her to do…" May smiled. "If she can do that, that means she's calm enough to think this through, which means I can still reach her. Blaziken, use Fire Spin!"

Blaziken let out a shout as the swirling flames flew out of her mouth and surrounded Metagross.

_Metagross, throw those flames back with Psychic!_ Anabel shouted mentally.

Groaning from the flames, the cross on the face of Metagross began glowing blue. The flames that surrounded his body flew off, and back into the face of Blaziken. May's Pokémon stood her ground as the flames enveloped her body. With a flex of her muscles, the Fire Spin was dispelled from around her. Blaziken looked up with her blue eyes at her opponent and smirked. Metagross smirked back at its opponent with its dark, red eyes.

"Blaziken, Sky Uppercut!" May shouted.

"Metagross, Meteor Mash!" Anabel commanded in retaliation.

Blaziken shot forward with her claws low to the ground. She leapt forward, and her claw began glowing as she brought it up towards Metagross.

Metagross, in kind, lifted its heavy leg into the air. The metal claw at the end of the iron leg began glowing as the Iron leg Pokémon smashed its appendage into Blaziken's rising fist.

The attacks clashed, Blaziken's fist catching Metagross'. Both Pokémon struggled against each other, neither conceding an inch. Sparks began flying off from the clashing attacks, brightening the mostly dark battleground that was only lit by the flames that still billowed behind May.

"Now's your chance, Metagross!" Anabel shouted. "Use Hyper Beam!"

Metagross opened its gaping mouth as Blaziken began pulling her arm back for a defensive stance. However, it was already too late. Metagross fired the brightly colored beam of energy point-blank into Blaziken's chest, sending May's starter Pokémon flying across the field, ripping up the ground as she scraped against it.

"Blaziken, are you alright?" May called, her voice racked with worry.

Blaziken laid down for only a moment before rising to her feet. As she rose, the ends of her feathers seemed to catch fire. The burning aura enveloped Blaziken's entire body, revitalizing the tired Pokémon.

"Was that Blaze?" Greta blinked.

Scott nodded. "Blaziken's special characteristic that gives her that last push she needs to come through the battle. May better make this next move count."

"Blaziken, knock Metagross into the sky with Sky Uppercut!" May shouted, raising her fist into the air, miming her Pokémon's gesture.

_Oh no! Metagross is immobilized because of Hyper Beam!_ Anabel cried to herself.

Blaziken leapt over next to Metagross, landing in a crouch. Her fist began to glow as she slammed it into Metagross' underside, flinging the huge Steel-type into the air.

"Follow up with Blaze Kick!" May shouted.

Blaziken leapt into the air, just above Metagross. She somersaulted forward, bringing her blazing talons into the skull of her adversary. Blaziken allowed gravity to carry them down to the ground, keeping her scorching hot talon on Metagross.

"Finish it off with Overheat!" May called.

Metagross hit the ground with a loud crash, kicking up dust from all around it. As Blaziken kicked off, she flipped again, and launched a white-hot flame from her mouth at the Iron Leg Pokémon, completely enveloping the foe's Pokémon in flames.

Blaziken stood at her trainer's side as the flames that burned around Metagross died down. The Iron Leg Pokémon groaned to its feet. It smiled and nodded to May's Blaziken, then fell to the ground.

Anabel's eyes widened as she timidly lifted her Pokéball to bring Metagross back into the safety of its Pokéball.

"Anabel, are you ready to stop?" May asked calmly, recalling her Pokémon back into her Pokéball as well. "Do you understand how your hatred is only pushing everyone away?"

"Shut up!" Anabel screamed, lost to all reason. "I'm not going to be beaten by someone who pretends to be a noble hero! I'm the hero this time! Ash is with me! I'll protect him from all the pain that you'll inflict!"

"Anabel…" May shook her head. "You still don't understand, do you?"

"You're the one who doesn't understand!" Anabel shouted, tears beginning to stream down her face. "I have to protect Ash! He'll never get hurt like that again!"

May let out a short gasp. "What do you mean, 'like that'?"

"I saw, May," Anabel sobbed. "I saw where his shoulders were scarred for your sake!"

May felt like the breath had been knocked out of her.

"Y-you saw…?" May spoke slowly. "You saw that?"

Anabel nodded, wiping the tears from her face. "That's why I have to protect him from you. You just bring misfortune and pain. You don't deserve him!"

May closed her eyes and smiled. "Anabel, you still don't understand. It's because of that day that Ash and I even came together in the first place!"

"Shut up! I'll end your lies!" Anabel roared. She pulled out her last Pokéball and tossed it up. "Espeon, go!" The light flashed across the battlefield and the lavender colored Pokémon stood, her dark eyes focusing on May across the battlefield.

May thought quickly._Blaziken and Beautifly are too tired to fight that Pokémon, and Eevee isn't strong enough yet. Munchlax is hindered by the lack of the sun for his SolarBeam, so that leaves one choice left…_ "Skitty, take the stage!" May tossed her Pokéball up. The pink Kitten Pokémon appeared with a spin and a smile as she landed in the grass.

"You're fighting my Pokémon with a kitten?" Anabel shouted. "Are you mocking me?"

May smiled. "It's the only way you'll learn, Anabel! Skitty, use Blizzard!"

"Espeon, dodge!" Anabel commanded.

Skitty opened her small mouth and exhaled a flurry of ice and wind. Espeon jumped to the side, nimbly dodging the ferocious attack. "Espeon, use Quick Attack!" Anabel shouted.

The Sun Pokémon shot forward more quickly than Skitty could see and tackled into her. The kitten Pokémon bounced cutely across the ground, but Anabel's Pokémon was not amused.

"Skitty, use Double Slap!" May ordered.

Skitty leapt up over Espeon's head and slapped at the Psychic-Type's face with her tail, landing several clean hits before she landed on Espeon's face and leapt off, away from May.

Espeon turned around to face Skitty. "Espeon, use Psychic! Toss that worthless Pokémon to the side!"

The red jewel in Espeon's forehead began glowing the same blue glow that each on Anabel's Pokémon used throughout the battle. Skitty kicked in the air as she was lifted off the ground. With a swish of her tail, Espeon threw the smaller Pokémon several meters away from where she previously stood.

"Skitty, use Assist!" May called out.

Skitty raised her glowing paw, and from it, came three strings that shot outward. Caught by surprise, Espeon stood still as the strings wrapped around her, hampering her movement. Skitty began dashing back towards her opponent as fast as she could.

"Espeon, use Zap Cannon on Skitty!" Anabel commanded.

"Skitty, block it with Blizzard!" May orderd.

Espeon stood still as she formed the ball of lightning above her head. At the same time, Skitty took in a deep breath as she ran.

Espeon howled as the ball lightning was launched from her forehead. As the ball came closer, Skitty stopped in her tracks and unleashed a huge blizzard from her mouth.

The ice and wind pushed back against the ball of energy, and eventually overcame it. The wintery attack cut against Espeon, sending chills throughout the Sun Pokémon's body.

A large, ice-blue orb now sat where the attacks had connected.

"What the?" May blinked.

"Did Skitty's Blizzard freeze the Zap Cannon!?" Anabel gasped.

May decide to take advantage of the opportunity. "Skitty, use Double Slap to knock that ice ball back into Espeon!

Skitty leapt up and smacked the ball of ice with her tail. The frozen orb slid across the ground quickly towards Espeon.

"Break that ball of ice with Iron Tail!" Anabel shouted back.

Anabel's Pokémon jumped into the air and did a flip. As her tail came down, it began glowing white. The iron-hard smashed through the ball of ice, destroying it completely.

A loud, piercing "Nya!" was the next thing in the ears of Anabel as May's Skitty leapt into the air and crashed into her Pokémon with a powerful tackle.

"Great job, Skitty!" May praised her Pokémon.

"Espeon, smack it back with Iron Tail!" Anabel ordered.

Espeon hit the ground with a thud. She stood up and smacked Skitty away with her glowing tail, causing the Kitten Pokémon to bounce along the ground.

"Espeon, finish that Skitty off with Zap Cannon!" Anabel roared. "End this battle!"

"Skitty, use Assist!" May called in response.

Skitty's paw glowed for only a moment. Then she began sprinting towards Espeon.

The Sun Pokémon began forming another orb of lightning above her head, aimed at Skitty.

"What's Skitty doing?" Cyndi blinked.

"No…" Brock gasped. "It can't be…"

"Nyanyanyanyanyanyanya-" Skitty began chanting as she began leaving behind a white streak in her wake.

"No way," Greta blinked.

"Is that…?" Scott asked, his voice tapering off.

"-nyanyanyanyanyanyanya-" The Kitten Pokémon continued to chant. A dazzling gold aura of electric power began flooding over her being. All the while, Skitty continued dashing head on to Espeon.

"…Volt Tackle…? Anabel gasped.

Espeon focused her energy into the attack. The ball of lightning was launched straight at the oncoming Normal-Type. Skitty nimbly somersaulted over the energy ball and charged forward into Espeon, not missing a beat.

Espeon howled as the electric charge transferred from Skitty's small body to her own. The pink Pokémon rebounded from the attack and tumbled across the arena, laying on her back and lying unconscious.

Espeon still felt the snap and crack of the electricity on her body as her legs failed her, and she tumbled to the ground.

Anabel stumbled across the grass over to where her Pokémon lie. Anabel herself fell to her knees and picked the Sun Pokémon. "It was… it was unreal," she whispered, still not fully believing what happened.

May walked over to Anabel, carrying the worn out Skitty in her hands. "Anabel? Are you alright?"

Anabel looked up to May, solemnly looking into the Coordinator's sapphire eyes. "This is… How couldn't I have seen?"

"Anabel…" May said, words getting caught in her throat.

Anabel stood up, holding Espeon in her arms. "Your strength… and his…" Anabel looked up into May's eyes. "It's strange… even though he wasn't here, it's like I lost to him all over again."

"What are you saying?" May raised both of her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Anabel smiled. "I was such an idiot…" she said to herself.

"Anabel, wait," Greta stepped over, concerned. "Are you feeling okay?"

Anabel nodded to Greta. "I am. Thank you for asking." The Salon Maiden turned back to May, a kind look on her face. "Thanks for showing me. I understand now."

"Well, could somebody let the rest of us in on it?" Cyndi shouted, her tone laden with sarcasm.

"We aren't all metaphysico-theologico-cosmolo-boobologists like you twerps are!" Jessie spouted off.

Anabel let out a small chuckle. "I really hated you, May. Part of me still probably does," she said with a smile. "But in that battle, you showed me that if I was going to hate one person, I would have to hate everyone around them, including people really close to me… so thanks. Thank you, May. Thank you, Pikachu."

May smiled. "You're welcome, Anabel."

"Pikapika," the mouse Pokémon leapt to May's shoulder. Anabel reached out and scratched Pikachu on his head.

"Hey!" A gruff voice came from behind the group, "We can't have you kids standing around this fire!" A man in a long yellow coat and a red helmet began waving his arms about. "Get away! This is dangerous work for us firefighters!"

As if they were signaled by the strange man's flailing gestures, several men leapt from the shade close to the now smoldering blaze. They tossed open several Pokéballs, and various Water-type Pokémon appeared from their containers. The Pokémon fired their Water Guns into the blaze, the force of which destroyed what little remained of Scott's old home, rendering it a pile of wet ashes and smashed wood.

The owner of the Battle Frontier groaned as he gazed upon the destruction. "Now it's completely gone…" he sighed.

Brock gave him a pat on the back. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll be able to get a new home after this whole mess is handled."

"It's easy for you to say," Scott sighed from behind his sunglasses. "You're not a homeowner."

May perked up. "Hey, we can stay the night at the Pokémon Center, Scott! Cheer up!"

"Hor-ray!" Jessie, James, and Meowth shouted enthusiastically. "Free eats! Warm baths! Soft Pillows!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

May smiled and turned to Greta and Anabel. "You two are coming with us, right?" she asked.

Anabel and Greta blinked. "What?" Anabel sounded confused. "After I just battled you? You want me to come with you?"

"I'll need all the help I can get," May simply stated as she began walking towards the Pokémon Center, "if I'm going to go help Ash."

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**I hope this rather long chapter was well worth the wait. I look forward to responses from the readers about Anabel, Ash, and everything else that happened in this chapter. Hopefully the next chapter won't be delayed by homework.**


	36. The Ma'am With The Plan!

**Sorry that it took so long to get this chapter done. College hasn't been very kind. But since Summer's coming up, I should have more time... I'll just have to apply myself more than I did last summer. I WILL finish this story, or die trying! Enough seriousness from me, though. Enjoy the admittedly short and slow chapter. The drama will return next chapter.**

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Dinner was eaten in silence, and very quickly. May had a lot she wanted to talk about. She seated everyone at a table on the far side of the Pokémon Center's Cafeteria. Since the Pokémon Center shared the Cafeteria with the Hospital in the same building, the room was quite a bit larger than an ordinary cafeteria. This suited May well, though, as she didn't want anyone to overhear what she and her friends were going to discuss.

Jessie, James, and Meowth continued to eat even after the rest of the group had finished. May looked across the table at the group that had been assembled. She had received the help and inside information that could only be supplied by Scott, the owner of the Battle Frontier. He had given her the hope that Ash Ketchum still lived. She had also been joined by three of the most persistent people she ever knew. The talents of Jessie, James, and the talking Meowth that accompanied them were often used against her, but now they were on the same side, fighting for the same thing.

Her cause was also receiving the aide of two of the powerful Frontier Brains, although one is not sure why she's been invited to help, and the other hasn't given a reason to want to help. But there they sit, side by side, waiting for May to start speaking.

And closest to where she sat were two close friends of hers. The older one had been helping her with her own Pokémon journey practically from the beginning. And the young girl reminded her so much of her brother, who was back home and not having to deal with this whole situation.

On her shoulder, of course, is the avatar for her beloved. He smiled when she looked up at him, his dark eyes happily sparkling and contrasting with his bright fur.

"So May?" Anabel asked. "What are we going to do? You said you wanted to help Ash."

May nodded as Pikachu leapt from her shoulder and sat on the table. "That's right. When Ash left to go see that Evergreen, or Giovanni, or whoever, I knew that I just couldn't let him go. But there was no way to get him to let me go with him. So, I decided to just follow him afterwards."

"Didn't he want everyone to stay here so that we wouldn't be put in danger?" Brock asked her.

"That's why nearly all of us are going!" she grinned. "There's safety in numbers!"

Brock smiled back. "Not that I ever thought that you wouldn't chase after him, of course."

"'Nearly all', huh?" Anabel lowered her eyelids. "Who isn't invited to this little party you're planning?"

"Well, I had to think about it," May raised her index finger to her chin, "but I decided that we should leave Scott and Cyndi behind."

The young girl stood up on her chair. "That's not fair! Why don't I get to come?"

Scott put his large hand on the girl's head. "I'm sure May has a good reason, now, Cyndi."

"Well, if we all go, we'll basically be bringing the Sapphire to them, right?" May said. "We'll need someone to watch over it and stay away. I thought Scott could take the Sapphire to Celio on One Island."

"You still haven't said why I can't come!" Cyndi shouted.

"If what Ash said is true, then it could very dangerous, Cyndi," May replied. "For your mother's sake, I don't want to put you in that danger."

"And just so you know, he isn't blowing smoke," Anabel added. "The fortress is designed as a gauntlet of Pokémon Battles. Who knows how many opponents we'll have, or even who they'll be. You should just stay with Scott."

"I've got Pokémon! I can help!" she continued to shout.

"Sorry, kid," Greta looked across the table to her, "but Anabel's got the right idea here. There may be strength in numbers, but we'll only be as strong as our weakest link."

"But-but I-" she continued fighting for a chance. "I won't be dead weight, I promise! Just let me come, please! I'll work harder than I've ever worked before!"

May's face softened. "Alright, you can come with us, Cyndi-"

The child leapt into the air. "Alright!"

"-but you've gotta stick near me or Brock, okay?" she finished. "Protecting you while we're in there running this gauntlet is going to be priority number two."

"Priority number one is saving Ash?" Anabel guessed.

May smiled widely. "Yep! If I can reach him, I know that I'll be able to convince him to come back with us."

"Pika!" the Electric-Type shared her enthusiasm.

"And I'm still going to One Island, then?" Scott asked.

"Right," May looked to him. "If we take the Sapphire with us, we'll basically be handing over to them. They could hold any of us hostage and force us to give it to them."

"But what about if they attack me while the rest of you are gone?" Scott asked. "Won't leaving an opening be just as bad as taking it with us? It'd at least be protected if we took it with us."

"That's why we're leaving for the fortress tonight," May replied.

"Tonight?" Meowth nearly spat out the noodles he was eating. "Is dat headkerchief on too tight?"

"That's where you all come in," May addressed the trio. "You all always have balloons to make your getaways in. You've gotta have at least one more that we can take to the island tonight before they have a chance to get to prepared for us."

"That's a good strategy," Greta nodded. "Take the fight to them before they have a chance to get their defense up."

"And since Ash is already back there, I bet they're expecting us to arrive soon," Brock noted. "If we want our element of surprise, we're going to have to get going early."

"So, you all have one more balloon, right?" the Pokémon Coordinator returned to Jessie, James, and Meowth.

James began stuttering. "W-well, it's just that-"

"I'll go get it."

James and Meowth looked over at Jessie.

She turned her head to her partners. "I said, I'll go get it."

"Jessie, it's our very last one, and we don't have a penny to our name otherwise," James explained to her.

"Jimmy's right, Jess," Meowth followed up. "If it goes down, we're stranded wherever it is. We don't have da money to get tickets or nothin'."

"Look you two," Jessie responded, "we said we'd help May in whatever way we could. If we don't use everything we have, we'll be breaking our word."

"You've never had a problem doing that before," James sighed.

"What was that?!" the female third of the trio screeched.

"N-nothing at all!" he smiled, waving his hands defensively. "Let's all go and get that balloon."

"It's going to be a while before we see a Pokémon Center, I bet," May spoke to everyone at the table. "If we're going to the Battle Fortress, we should make sure our Pokémon are in perfect health before we leave."

Jessie reached into her pockets and dropped three Pokéballs in front of Meowth. "Here, Meowth. While James and I are preparing the balloon, take our Pokémon to Nurse Joy and make sure they're fighting fit."

James reached into his pockets and dropped his two Pokéballs in front of Meowth as well. "Take care, Meowth. It shouldn't take us very long before we're able to rejoin you."

"Got it," the Scratchcat nodded.

Jessie turned to the rest of the group. "We'll be getting the balloon ready. If you all really want to go tonight, we'd better hurry."

"Right," everyone nodded in unison.

May led the group back to the lobby of the dual-purpose building. The rather scatterbrained Nurse Joy that May dealt with earlier sat at the front counter, twirling her finger through her hair.

"Nurse Joy!" Brock shouted, leaping to the front of the group. "How long has it been since I've last set eyes on beauty such as yours?"

Joy's wide eyes stared blankly at Brock without the slightest hint of recollection. "Wait… wait…" she cautioned. "I can remember this…" Nurse Joy turned around and began ruffling through her desk drawer, searching for something to jog her memory.

Cyndi stepped forward, reached up for Brock's ear, and yanked him down. "A swing and a miss," Cyndi sighed as she pulled him across the floor by his ear.

Joy turned around and looked very confused. "I'm sure there was someone here just a second ago…" she whispered to herself.

"Hello Nurse Joy," May smiled as she stepped up to the counter, filling the void left by Brock.

"Oh, Seashore Girl! Welcome back to the Pokémon Center!" Nurse Joy began to babble. "Are you going to be staying with us for another four days?"

May sighed to herself. "And she says it with such a bright smile, too."

"Huh?" Joy blinked.

"My friends and I are leaving on a trip tonight," she began explaining. "Can you do a quick check on our Pokémon to make sure they're in perfect health?"

"Okies!" she smiled. May handed Pikachu to Joy from her shoulder, and dropped her five Pokéballs onto the counter.

Brock walked up next, still holding his pained ear. He handed his four Pokéballs to the nurse and allowed his hand to linger on hers. Joy began blushing profusely as she took the Pokéballs from the breeder.

Cyndi yanked Brock down once again, and handed to her aunt seven Pokéballs, as well as dropping Meowth on the counter.

"Hey, you can't fool me!" Joy snapped at the little girl. "Trainers can only carry six Pokémon! What are you doing here with eight?"

Meowth swallowed sharply.

"I'm holding onto these for some friends of ours," Cyndi narrowed her gaze as she glared up at the woman behind the counter.

Joy glared back at her. "Y'know, I think I've seen that face somewhere before…" she responded.

Anabel and Greta stepped between the child and her relation and set their Pokéballs on the desk. "Please take care of ours, too, Nurse Joy."

Joy forgot what she was trying to think about previously. "Okay! I'll get right on it!"

Joy scooped the Pokéballs up into her arms and headed behind a door directly behind her.

Through the automatic glass doors behind them, Jessie and James came into the Pokémon Center.

The leader of the trio approached. "We're all ready for the trip," she started, "but remember that this is a balloon and not a jet liner. It still may take us several hours to get there."

"That's fine," May replied. "Just as long as it'd be faster than waiting for a boat."

"And it is," James smiled, rubbing his hands together. "We'll be getting there probably around the time the ports open in the morning." He looked around the crowd. "Um... we seem to be short one furry friend," he noted, trying to see if Meowth was hiding somewhere.

"I handed him to Nurse Joy," Cyndi said. "I figured that he'd need a check up, too."

"Okie! All done!" Joy said, walking out of the back room with a box of Pokéballs.

"All done?" May blinked. "That was quick."

"Isn't tech-knowledge-y great?" Joy laughed.

"Where are Meowth and Pikachu?" Anabel blinked, staring at the box.

Pikachu's head sprung from underneath the pile of Pokéballs, with Meowth sprouting next to him. "Pikachuu.." he sighed.

"Talk about careless…" Meowth sighed.

May took the box from Nurse Joy. "We'll handle it from here. Thank you, Nurse Joy."

"No problem!" she smiled back cheerfully. "When you need to take a long nap again, just let me know, 'kay?"

May sighed, slumping over and nearly dropping the box. "Alright."

May carried the box outside, and under Brock's careful eye, everyone got their own Pokéballs back.

Dropping her five Pokéballs into her pack and lifting Pikachu to her shoulder, May turned to her comrades. "Is everyone ready?"

With a bright flash, Cyndi's Happiny appeared from her Pokéball. "Happi…" she cooed, leaping into her trainer's arms.

Brock smiled at the girl as she hushed the baby Pokémon. "Yeah, we're ready. Where's the last balloon, Jessie?"

"We left it in the middle of that group of trees," Jessie pointed. "We'd better hurry if we're gonna make it."

Jessie, James, and Meowth lead the way through the trees. May blinked for a moment when she set her eyes on the large balloon.

It was fully inflated, its color almost blending in with the night sky. The bright red "R" on its chest stood in contrast to its otherwise subdued blue hue. The balloon figure's mouth was open, and had one of its lanky arms in a salute.

"Hey," Cyndi blinked, "that balloon looks just like-"

"Woobbuffet!" the Patient Pokémon interjected, saluting right next to the small girl.

"So the last balloon was your back up Wobbuffet balloon?" Brock asked, turning to James.

"Right," he nodded. "Ol' Wobb's always been sort of our fallback when he works. It seemed fitting that we'd have a few balloons in his image."

"Wobbu-Wobbuffet!" he again announced, leaping over next to James.

A Pokéball on James' belt snapped open, and Mime Jr. mimicked Wobbuffet from the shoulder of his trainer. "Mime, mimemime!"

Jessie approached the balloon and opened the basket. "Alright. It's gonna be a tight squeeze with everyone in here, so let's just load up as soon as we can."

May furrowed her eyebrows at the rather modest sized basket. "I guess it's standing room only, huh?" she frowned.

"Pika…" he sighed in unison with May.

May boarded the balloon with Pikachu on her shoulder. "C'mon, everyone. Let's get moving!"

Brock, Cyndi and Happiny got on next.

"Are you sure there's even room for us on there?" Anabel said, having her doubts. "I don't think we'll all be able to get on there."

"If it'll save us some room," Cyndi piped up, "I can just ride Mom's Skarmory. I fly around on her all the time, so this little island hop shouldn't be anything."

"That sounds like a good idea," Greta smiled. "We could also let Meowth ride with you to give us a bit more room for the people in the basket."

Meowth grunted. "I don't take up dat much room."

"But space is limited as it is, Meowth," Jessie said. "Just ride with the kid. It won't take long for us to get there, anyway."

"Alright," Meowth groaned, accepting Jessie's order.

"Happiny," Cyndi said, talking to her Pokémon, "why don't you hang out in your ball for a bit while we get moving?"

"Happi, happi!" she chirped. Cyndi lifted up the red and white sphere and sent the Playhouse Pokémon inside.

Anabel and Greta stood as close to May and the others as they could without forcing anyone over the edge of the basket. Greta stood almost directly in front of Anabel, her back pressing against the Salon Maiden's chest. Anabel grunted in discomfort while the darkness hid Greta's small pigment change.

Finally, Jessie and James stepped onto the basket and closed the side. "Are we all set to go?" asked James to all of the passengers.

"I guess," Anabel grunted. "Let's get this over with. I'm going to suffocate at this rate."

"Hey Scott," May called to him. "Make sure you protect that Sapphire. We'll come back with Ash!"

"Good luck, May," Scott gave her a thumbs up. "I'll be waiting to see that kid again."

"Alright, Brock," called Jessie, "now that we've said our goodbyes, pull the rope that stokes the engine."

"Alright," he grunted, pushing the shorter Frontier Brains out of the way as he reached up and pulled down sharply on the rope.

May felt squashed in the corner until Brock's moving slightly forward gave her a moment to breath. The balloon began rising in the air and drifting away from Scott and out of the clearing. Just as suddenly as she was given room to breath, Brock stepped back, almost crushing her against the corner of the basket.

From the ground below, Cyndi's Skarmory began flapping her wings and took to the sky, following behind the Wobbuffet Balloon. Meowth held on tightly to Cyndi's waist, and struggling not to look at the ground.

Cyndi huffed. "Don't be such a fraidy-cat," she mocked him. "You fly all the time, don't you?"

"Yeah," Meowth gulped, "but most of da time, I've gots four walls surroundin' me."

Skarmory rode the air currents and caught up with the balloon. May had struggled and turned around, so that she could breath the fresh air from up in the air. The sky was clear, and she could see the reflection of the crescent moon on the ocean below. The entire scene was as peaceful as riding a hot air balloon with five other people could be.

Pikachu let out a yawn and curled up against May's shoulder. The Coordinator smiled and scratched the Electric-type's head. "Have a good rest, Pikachu," she whispered to him. After which, she let out a yawn of her own. "I've been up for a while past my regular bed time," she muttered, letting her eyelids slip. "I'll just take a quick nap while we float to the," she whispered to herself, pausing to yawn, "Battle Fortress." She leaned her back against Brocks and quickly drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow would be a busy day.

* * *

**I don't think there's been a chapter this lighthearted in a while. Oh well, back to story stuff next time. I hope I'll be able to get it done faster for next time.  
**


	37. Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow! Part 1

**This is the quickest I've written a new chapter in a long time, I believe. We're right back with the action after that calm chapter. Alright! Let's go!**

* * *

May's eyes flicked open.

The bright orange sun sat as a semicircle on the horizon. Its long rays stretched out across the sky, painting the clouds with oranges and yellows. Below the balloon, the color of the sea seemed muted against the overwhelming brightness of the sun. May squinted her eyes and whined. "It's too early…" she whispered to herself.

"Are you going to get up, May?" Cyndi called to her from out in front. "We're practically there!"

"What?" May yawned. "We're almost there?"

May used her hand to feel the shoulder that Pikachu had fallen asleep on the night before. Finding it bare, she turned her head to the left and right to search amongst the heads of the rest of the passengers.

The small Pokémon had apparently wandered across the shoulders of the others and had found Jessie's hair particularly comfortable. He had curled up in her long locks and went to sleep. Jessie herself, however, was snoring thunderously, keeping anyone except May from being able to get any rest beyond shutting their eyes.

"Jessie, wake up," pleaded James. "It's time for us to start descending."

"Just a few more minutes," Jessie yawned.

"But you're crushing me," the blue-haired man whined, trapped between his friend and the two Frontier Brains. "Can't you just get up now?"

"Oh, fine," the red haired woman grumbled as she stood straight up and leaned back, pressing her partner even closer to the girls who were caught in the middle.

As James, Greta, and Anabel fought each other for the right to expand their lungs the most, May looked down to her right at what was most assuredly their destination. On the far side of the island, there sat what looked like a small city. She could even pick out the Pokémon Center from this height. Closer to them, and where try were going to land, however, was a much different picture than a sparse, quaint town.

The building looked like it was ripped out of a blockbuster film, May thought. It was a small castle, all colored the pitchest black May had ever seen. All along the top of the building's walls were tall, sharp spikes of shimmering ebony. The castle was surrounded by a tall wall also made of black stones. Atop the castle sat intimidating form of the Battle Pyramid. May remembered the tall, dark shape well, but it was the first time she had ever seen it from the sky.

She turned to her allies. "So the Battle Pyramid sits on top of the Battle Fortress?" she asked Anabel, speaking over Brock.

"That's right," the lavender haired maiden responded. "Giovanni uses the Fortress as his base of operations in the Sevii Islands. Since Brandon is one of his underlings, having the pyramid land on the fortress allows for the more direct transport of Pokémon."

"Or prisoners," Greta added. "Ash had no idea where he was until he was told. There's no windows or anything, so even if he wanted to escape, it wouldn't be easy."

"I hope he's okay," Cyndi sighed, flying close by the balloon.

"Focus more on flyin' dan worrying about da twoip!" Meowth panicked, gripping onto Cyndi tightly.

"We're coming in for a landing," Jessie said. "Brock, pull the other rope to let out the hot air."

"Right," Brock nodded. He pushed through the Frontier Brains again and pulled on a second rope. A hole on the top of the Wobbuffet Balloon opened up, and the balloon began floating gently downward into the forests in front of the Fortress. Jessie spotted a sizeable clearing not too far from the entrance and instructed James to land the craft.

The Pokémon Trainers who were stuck in the basket all night took a moment to stretch out as they walked around the clearing. Cyndi landed shortly thereafter, and Meowth was thankful to have something under his feet again. Even in this clearing, though, May and Pikachu could see the top of the Battle Pyramid looming over them.

After a few moments, May began leading the group through the small forested area in front of the Battle Fortress. May swallowed her fear as they finally stepped out in front of the intimidating structure.

The group found themselves standing in front of what appeared to be the main gate. The gate seemed to glare down at May, its bars like long, thin teeth permanently stretched out in a frightening, eerie smile. Its shining, featureless face wrapped around the building as the black walls that surrounded the fortress.

May timidly stepped towards the gate and pulled back on the bars, which held fast to their position. The coordinator let out a growl. "The gate's locked. How're we supposed to get in?"

"Wait," Anabel stepped towards the right side of the gate. She flipped open an unseen panel on the flat wall, exposing the keypad. She flicked a few keys on the pad and looked at the gate expectantly.

A few moments of empty silence passed before the Salon Maiden frowned. "Did they change the passcode?"

"Here, let me give it a try," Greta said, pulling her sleeve back. She stepped up to the keypad and began punching in another passcode.

After a few clicks, the gate sprang to life, opening inward towards the main building.

"Hey, great work, Greta!" May clasped her hands together and laughed.

Greta swallowed sharply. "I… I didn't… finish inputting my code…" she managed to get out.

"Which means," deduced Brock, "that someone is expecting us."

May's cheer disappeared as she looked towards the building. The building's exterior was extremely ornate. Unlike the plain outer perimeter, the Fortress was made up stones of various unpredictable sizes. From below the large pyramid, it seemed like the Battle Fortress was simply a tall, black box that was used as a landing site for the other facility.

Looking ahead, May noticed that the door to the Fortress was open, with a faint light shining from inside. May looked to the Pokémon on her shoulder and swallowed her fear, remembering something that was told to her months ago. Knowing her own Pokémon would be afraid if she herself let the building scare her, she put on her bravest face and turned to her compatriots. "Are we ready?" she asked them.

"Let's go, May," Brock nodded.

"Let's go save Ash!" Cyndi cheered.

"For honor!" James shouted.

"For glory!" Jessie responded.

"For da twoip!" Meowth finished.

"If we're going to save Ash, we'll all need to work together," Anabel said. "We'll all have to work as hard as we can."

"We've gotta get May to Ash, right?" Greta asked. "We've just gotta focus on that objective. The rest'll be cake."

With her whole team behind her, May stepped into the Battle Fortress.

Inside the open door, May quickly realized where she stood. Even with just the faint light from the outside lighting the room, she could tell that the markings on the floor meant that trainers would battle here.

The faint light that had shone from the outside seemed to vanish as May and her friends entered the room. Suddenly, the lights in the ceiling all turned on simultaneously. May blinked for a bit at the change in the lighting, but before she could say anything, a voice called out from the door on the opposite side of the room.

"Prepare for trouble!" shouted a woman, clad in black, as she stepped out of the shade of the doorway on the opposite side of the room.

Following her out of the doorway was a man, also in all black. He followed up her line by saying, "And make it double." As soon as he stepped through the door, it slammed down behind him, closing off the path.

May quickly took a look around the room. There were no stands for crowds to sit in to watch the battles. The floor was covered in dirt, as is usual for Pokémon battlefields, but the walls were made of a blue-tinted steel.

Before she could make any further notes about the room, the duo shouted, "Now here's our mission so you better listen!"

May directed her attention to the woman across the room from her. She was dressed like Jessie was, except her outfit seemed like a negative, with a black blouse and skirt and white gloves and boots. The only thing that remained constant was the red R on her chest. Her blonde hair was in two ponytails, and large earrings hung from her ears.

The man who was opposite her similarly looked like a negative of James. His hair was much more neatly trimmed and turquoise in color, but he wore the same outfit and boots that the other man wore, only with the colors reversed.

The duo continued uninhibited.

"To infect the world with devastation!" the woman began reciting the motto.

"To blight all peoples in every nation!" the man joined in.

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!" the woman thrust her arm outward.

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!" the man punched towards the ceiling.

"Cassidy!"

"And Butch, of course!"

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night!" Cassidy finished, turning her back towards Butch.

"Surrender to us now, or you'll surely lose the fight!" Butch finished, also turning his back to his partner.

"I know who you are," May shouted, annoyed at their time-wasting display. "It's Cassidy and Brian, right?"

Butch's face turned bright red. "The name is Butch!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Not Brian! We've run into your boyfriend enough that he should have told you my name! And I just said it a few seconds ago! Didn't you listen to our motto?!"

Cassidy surveyed the trainers who entered from the other side. "Look there, Butch, it seems that there are some traitors in our midst."

Butch was about to shout at Cassidy for messing up his name, but realized that she said it properly. "You're right," he smiled, recognizing the familiar trio. "Although I guess 'traitors' is the wrong word. They were fired, remember?"

"Oh, how could I have forgotten?" Cassidy mocked them.

"You wanna make something of it?" Jessie growled at the other woman.

"Wobbuffet!" the Pokémon appeared next to his trainer.

Cassidy cackled in response at a pitch that hurt Pikachu's ears. "You're way outta your league, girlie," Cassidy taunted. "You should have just stayed away. If the Boss learns that you're here, he won't let such disobedience go unpunished."

"Just get out of the way, you two," Anabel shouted. "We don't have business with the likes of you."

Butch shook his finger at the Frontier Brain. "That's not how it's gonna work, twerp," he sneered. "If you wanna get through the door, someone's gonna have to battle us."

Jessie stepped forward. "I'll take that Cassa-ding-dong on!" The red-haired woman's blue eyes burned intensely. "C'mon, James. You can fight Butters."

"It's not Butters! It's Butch! I just yelled at the twerp about this thing!" Butch's chest heaved as he glared furiously at Jessie and James. "I'm ready to get this started!" He produced a Pokéball from his pants pocket and pitched it forward. "Mightyena, go!"

The Pokéball snapped open, and one flash of light later, a canine Pokémon stood between May's group and the Rocket Duo. His fur was wild and black, the red irises trained on James.

"I guess I'd better give you a hand, then," Cassidy smiled. "Let's go, Houndour!"

Cassidy's Pokéball snapped open, and a smaller dog-like Pokémon stood next to Mightyena. His underside was a vibrant red that contrasted with his dark underside. Both Pokémon barked at Jessie and James.

"Are you sure you wanna fight them?" May asked Jessie and James as they stepped forward from the group.

"Those two have had this coming for a long time," Jessie said, her gaze not faltering from her rival.

James let out a sigh. "I don't really have anything against these guys personally. I'm just along for the ride."

"Hey!" Meowth jumped forward. "Don't forget me!"

"So it's the whole dopey trio," Butch smiled.

"I was wondering when that worthless Meowth would open his big trap again," Cassidy laughed.

"I've had it with both of you!" Jessie yelled. "We're going to clean your clocks!" Jessie brought out her Pokéball and tossed it. "Seviper, let's go!"

James smiled at the Pokéball he lifted out of his pocket. "Cacnea, it's your turn, too!"

Their Pokéballs opened up, and the two Pokémon from Hoenn appeared next to each other. Cacnea turned from her forward trajectory and gave James strong, prickly hug.

May let out a gasp when she saw the door behind Butch and Cassidy open.

James pulled Cacnea from his face and threw her back into the fray. The four Pokémon stood against each other and glared, waiting for a command to start the battle.

"Houndour," Cassidy shouted, "use Flamethrower!"

"Cacnea, block it with Sandstorm!" James countered.

"Mightyena, use Poison Fang on Cacnea, quickly!" Butch commanded.

"Seviper," Jessie thrust her hand out, "use your strongest Poison Tail on Mightyena!"

Houndour opened his small mouth, and a torrent of orange and yellow flames shot across the battlefield. The Cactus Pokémon spun around and generated winds that began filling the room with sand. The flames hit the sand and were dispersed harmlessly.

Mightyena began running through the sand, the winds cutting against him. Seeing what he thought was the form of the Pokémon, he leapt forward, but came into contact only with the glowing purple tail of Jessie's Fang Snake Pokémon.

"May," Anabel whispered closely, "we need to make a break for that door while the battle's going on."

"Why?" May asked. "Shouldn't we support Jessie and James?"

"That's not how it works in the Battle Fortress," Anabel replied. "The door's only open while the Pokémon are battling. You end up having to leave some Pokémon behind to fight alone against the opponents inside."

May's eyes widened. "Th-that's horrible! You have to abandon the Pokémon?!"

"It's a cruel facility," Anabel sighed, then smiled, "but we have the advantage. With so much help, we'll be able to get you far into the Fortress by leaving people behind instead of weakening your party."

May's eyes remained wide. "You're asking me to abandon my friends in a place like this where I can't help them?! I-I can't do that!"

"You have to," Greta spoke, walking close. "Don't worry. I'm ready to do whatever it takes."

Brock put his hands on May's shoulders. "We're a team, May, but we all know that you and Pikachu are the only ones who'll be able to reach Ash. So we've got to do whatever we can to get to him."

May fought back some tears and looked up at the Breeder. "T-thanks Brock."

"What're you waiting for?" Jessie shouted.

"Go on, twerps!" James nodded. "We can handle these fools."

"You really think you can beat us?" Cassidy shouted in reply. "Something must have broke after the Champion clobbered you.

May let out a short gasp. "T-the Champion?"

"We're not afraid of you!" Jessie fought back.

Meowth leapt forward. "Dat's right! We're good guys now!"

"Wooobbuffet!" he nodded in agreement.

May dashed along the edge of the arena with Pikachu firmly holding onto her shoulder. Brock and Cyndi followed close behind, with Anabel and Greta bringing up the rear. The four battling Pokémon continued exchanging blows. Cacnea slammed her arms into the side of Houndour, who held her in his mouth. Seviper wrapped around Mightyena and began constricting.

May stood in the doorway behind Butch and Cassidy. "C'mon, let's hurry!" she called to the others. Shooting weary glances at the Team Rocket members in the battle Brock and Cyndi hustled through the door. Anabel and Greta followed closely behind, but didn't seem worried about any stray blows.

As soon as Greta and Anabel were past the threshold, May looked back to Jessie and James. She hesitated for a moment, wanting to help them. Brock grabbed her arm and yanked her in the door, and as soon as she was out of the doorway, the sliding steel door slammed shut.

Silence filled the air for a moment as May fell to her knees. "No…" she whispered. Then, raising a shout, "No! We can't leave them! This is how it happened to Ash! We split up, and something terrible happened to him!" She stood up and began pounding on the door, her hands balled into tight fists. "We have to go back and save them. We've gotta open this door!"

"May…" whispered Cyndi to herself.

"Pikachu…" he cooed into her ear.

Brock grabbed May by her arms and pulled her away from the door. "May, come on…" he whispered gently.

"It won't open from this side," Anabel tried to console her. "Only the Frontier Brain in charge of this facility can do that."

"That… that Giovanni…" May choked back tears, refusing to cry. "Is this how he fights? He divides up friends, and family, and lives, and picks on us when we're at our weakest?" She sniffled and looked back at the metal door. "I will save Ash from him! And then, when it's all over, it'll be okay, just like Ash would say!"

May took a moment to look around the room. It was quite dark, with only a single light filtering down from above. The walls seemed like the same cold, muted blue steel like what was seen in the previous room. A staircase, with each step made of a wire mesh, climbed the walls around the room. May turned, her back now to the door, and stepped towards her right, where the staircase began. She began climbing the stairs, each step creating a resounding metallic echo that caused the coordinator to shudder. Brock and Cyndi followed closely behind her, with the Frontier Brains keeping their distance as they followed.

"Hey, Anabel," Greta whispered to the lavender-haired girl. "What did you think of what May said?"

"'What May said?'" Anabel blinked. "What do you mean?"

"She said that after she rescues Ash, everything's gonna be fine," Greta replied. "But what's gonna happen to us? I mean, we… I mean, I did some pretty bad stuff to him. Will it really be okay?"

"Are you feeling alright, Greta?" Anabel raised a concerned eyebrow. "You normally don't worry about how people will react until you've already acted."

"I know, Annie," Greta averted her gaze, "but this entire thing has me thinkin', ya know?" The Arena Tycoon took a moment to gather herself. "I'm not even really sure why you're here. I thought you liked Ash. If he joins Team Rocket, and we stay with those guys, won't it be better for you and him in the long run?"

Anabel shook her head. "I think I understand now," she replied. "I do have feelings for Ash. But at the same time, I've seen how much May cares for him. And knowing how much he loves her back, the worst thing I could do would be to break them up."

"So…" Greta continued looking away. "Are you over Ash, then?"

Anabel sighed. "Just about. I still think about him sometimes, but I know we're not meant to be."

"I-is there anyone else you've got your eye on?" the normally timid Tycoon asked the Maiden.

"That's a weird question for you to be asking, Greta," Anabel giggled. "I'm not sure of everything yet, but everything will be all right in the end. I'm sure of that." She shot a smiled at the blonde girl. "C'mon, we're lagging behind. Let's catch up." Giving Greta a friendly slap on the back, Anabel began climbing up the dark stairs more rapidly.

Greta stood still for a moment. "Everything'll be alright, huh?" she asked herself. Then, she began chasing after her friend up the dark stairway.

* * *

**This chapter was gonna be longer, but since it was dragging through these parts, I decided that I would just snip it right about here. I'll have to finish writing the next part, but hopefully it won't take too terribly long. I'll see everyone then!**


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